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TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Hiotographic 

_,Sciences 

Corporation 


23  V.'iS7  MAIN  STPtlT 

WHSTH.N.;.  :4SM 

(716)  a73-4S03 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IMicroreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiquas 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
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copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


n 


n 


□ 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endom.mag6e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  peiliculAe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

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Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bieue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reii6  avec  d'autres  documer   . 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  ie  long  de  la  marge  inttrieure 

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II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte. 
mais,  lorsque  cela  itait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  M  fiim^es. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6tA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
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modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquts  ci-dessous. 


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0 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
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Quality  inigale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materit 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seuie  Mition  disponible 


I  I  Pages  damaged/ 

I  I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I  I  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I  I  Pages  detached/ 

r~l  Showthrough/ 

I  I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I  I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I  I  Only  edition  available/ 


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ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


0 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplimentaires: 


Various  pagingi. 


( 

rhis  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film4  au  taux  de  r6duction  indiqu6  ci-dessous 

10X                            14X                            18X                            22X 

26X 

aox 

/ 

12X 

16X 

20X                            24X                            28X 

32X 


Th«  copy  filmad  h«r«  hat  b««n  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroaity  off: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  film*  ffut  raproduit  grica  k  la 
g4n*rositA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Thb  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
tjiossibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
off  tha  original  copy  and  in  Itaaping  with  tha 
ffilming  contract  spaciffications. 


Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  *t4  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  l'axamplaira  ffilmA.  at  an 
confformitA  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
ffilmaga. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  fiimad 
baginning  with  tha  ffront  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  ffilmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  imprassion. 


Las  axamplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  9n 
papiar  ast  imprimAa  sont  ffilmte  an  commandant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  un  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autras  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  ffilmAs  90  commanpant  par  la 
pramiAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration  at  9n  tarminant  par 
■a  darniAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  taiia 
amprainta. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficof 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  V  (maaning  "END"), 
whichavar  applias. 


Un  das  symbolas  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  — »•  signiffia  "A  SUIVRE  ",  la 
symbols  V  signiffia  "FIN". 


Maps,  platas.  charts,  ate,  may  be  fiimad  at 
diffffarant  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  ffiimed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
ffiimAs  A  des  taux  da  reduction  diffffArants. 
Lorsqua  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  uh  seul  clichA.  il  est  film*  A  partir 
da  I'angia  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaire.  lies  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

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4 

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THE 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  SERVICES 


OF 


DR.  LEWIS  F.  LINN, 


FOR  TEN  YEARS  A  SENATOR  OF  THE  UNITED   STATES  FROM 
THE  STATE  OF  MISSOURI. 


BY 


E.  A.  LINN  AND  N.  SARGENT. 


XEW    YOEK: 
D.    APPLET  ON    AND    COMPANY, 


346   &   848   BROADWAY. 

M.DCCC.LVIt. 


! 


; 


ExTEiiED,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States 
for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


^ 


* 


-f 

I 

I 


PREFACE. 

The  present  volume  has  been  prepared  in  obedience  to 
what  seemed  to  the  writer  to  be  a  call  from  those,  "  the 
pioneers  of  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  their 
descendants,"  between  whom  and  Doctor  Linn  there 
was,  during  his  lifetime,  a  long  subsisting  association, 
a  mutual  esteem  and  interchange  of  good  offices,  which 
from  the  beginning  became  more  and  more  intimate 
and  cordial,  nntil  the  ties  which  thus  bound  them  to- 
gether were  severed  by  the  hand  of  death. 

Few  men  were  more  thoroughly  identified  with  "  the 
Great  West "  than  Dr.  Linn,  and  no  one  took  a  livelier 
interest  in  all  that  concerned  the  great  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi  and  its  enterprising  people,  or  labored  with 
greater  zeal  to  develope  its  resources,  open  and  improve 
its  highways,  by  land  and  water,  with  a  view  to  expe- 
dite the  occupation  of  its  rich  soil  and  inviting  climate 
by  the  temperate  sons  of  toil  from  the  East,  and  to  fa- 
cilitate its  commercial  intercourse  w^ith  other  parts  of 
the  country. 

It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  is  remembered  through  the  fruits  of  his  labors, 
by  thousands  to  whom  he  was  not  personally  known, 
but  of  whose  interests,  while  he  occupied  a  seat  in  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  he  was  never  unmindful  or 
neglective ;  and  that  his  memory  is  still  aftectionately 
cherished  by  other  thousands  to  whom  he  endeared 


4fi7n9 


PRO\   ::i':iAL  UiB.^ARY 
VICTORIA,  B.  C. 


PREFACE. 


hiinsi'lf  in  a  personal  intercourse  of  many  years  as  their 
neiglihor,  friend,  physician,  and  senator,  in  each  of 
wiiich  relations  he  failed  not  to  win  and  retain  their 
love  and  respect. 

There  are  still  others  who  have  not  forgotten  the 
persevering  labors  of  Dr.  Linn,  in  their  behalf,  and 
whose  memory  is  held  by  them  in  grateful  regard  for 
his  unceasing  efforts  to  secure  the  noble  country  which 
is  now  vocal  with  the  voices  of  civilized  man,  whose 
flocks  and  herds,  fields  and  farms  cover  its  green  hills 
and  fruitful  valleys, — the  pioneers  of  Oregon.  It  is  in 
obedience  also  to  their  wishes  that  this  memoir  of  him 
whose  name  is  so  intimately  connected  with  Oregon 
has  been  prepared. 

Aside  from,  and  in  addition  to,  these  calls,  it  seemed 
to  be  proper  that  some  record  of  the  services  of  one  who 
^abored  so  faithfully  for  others  and  for  his  country, 
hould  be  preserved  for  those  who  for  yenrs,  perhaps 
centuries,  hence,  will  enjoy  the  fruits  of  those  labors. 
This  task  I  have  endeavored  to  perform,  and  to  inscribe 
his  name  upon  a  tablet  composed  of  his  own  good 
deeds  ;  and  I  need  not  say  that  it  has  been  to  me  a 
labor  of  love  as  well  as  of  duty.  If  it  has  not  been 
done  with  artistic  excellence,  I  know  that  the  kind  in- 
dulgence of  friends  will  see  in  the  tdll  all  that  is  want- 
ing in  the  skill.  My  endeavor  has  been  less  to  present 
a  finished  picture,  than  to  body  forth  a  tme  portrait  of 
one  whose  every  feature,  physical  and  moral,  I  have 
reason  to  know  so  well,  and  to  remember  with  so  nuich 
afiection.  E.  A.  Linn. 

LixwooD  Cottage,  IJoonville,  Missouri. 


LIFE  OF  DR.  LINN. 


CHAPTER   I 


Dr.  Lewis  Fields  Linn,  the  subject  of  tliis  biography, 
was  born  on  the  5th  of  November,  1795,  near  the 
present  city  of  Louisville,  in  the  State  of  Kentucky. 
He  was  the  grandson  of  the  heroic  Col.  William  Linn 
of  the  Revolution.  His  parents  emigrated  from  Penn- 
sylvania at  that  early  period  of  our  national  history 
when  there  were  few  white  people  living  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ohio  River.  Those  who  had  already  pushed 
their  hardy  fortunes  so  far  into  the  wilderness  and 
upon  its  watercourses,  dwelt  in  small  settlements 
scattered  over  the  forests,  and  far  apart  from  each 
other.  The  prosperous  and  powerful  States  which  now 
skirt  both  margins  of  the  Ohio  River,  were  at  that 
remote  day  the  hunting  grounds  and  fastnesses  of 
roving  Indian  tribes,  against  whose  ferocity  neither 
age  nor  sex  was  a  shield — against  the  property  and 
lives  of  the  white  inhabitants  they  waged  a  harassing 


li 


6 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


Hi 


1 1 


.  and  incessant  warfare,  and  seldom  if  ever  spared  one 
or  the  other  when  fortune  gave  tliem  the  advjintage  in 
their  incursions. 

Botli  the  grandparents  of  Dr.  Linn,  witli  seven 
members  of  tlieir  family,  fell  victims  to  the  merc'lcs3 
and  hloody  scalping-knife  of  the  savages.  His  inti'epid 
and  chivalrous  grandfather,  Col.  Linn,  espoused  the 
cause  of  the  Colonies  and  took  up  arms  for  their 
liberties  at  the  dawn  of  the  American  llcvolution ;  he 
constantly  remained  active  in  the  service  of  his  country 
throughout  that  long  struggle,  so  perilous  and  sangui- 
nary to  the  frontier  and  its  infant  communities  ;  and 
then  sealed  a  life  of  devotion  and  patriotism  by  his 
death  in  battle  against  the  Indians.  He  lived,  how- 
ever, to  behold  the  Independence  for  which  he  had 
striven  for  so  many  years  secured  to  his  country  ;  and 
some  yeai*s  after  its  establishment  fell,  overwhelmed 
by  nund)ers,  in  a  conflict  with  the  Indians  near  Louis- 
ville, on  the  Ohio  River. 

An  accurate  and  eloquent  annaUst  of  the  West,  the 
gifted  Mr.  Mann  Butler  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  thus 
relates  an  achievement  characteristic  of  the  indomitable 
spirit  of  Col.  Linn,  and  the  race  from  which  he  sprung : 

"  While  the  pioneers  were  thus  bravely  defending 
themselves  against  appalling  numbers  of  savage  enemies, 
the  government  of  the  parent  State  was  not  inattentive 
to  the  interest  of  their  Western  children.     By  a  stretch 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


of  diplomacy  scarcely  to  have  been  expectetl  in  so 
young  a  State,  just  sprung  out  of  colonial  bondage,  yet 
still  used  to  much  independent  care  of  her  wide  and 
exposed  dominion,  the  Executive  of  Virginia  dispatched 
a  mission  to  New  Orleans  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
military  supplies  for  her  Western  ports.  The  officers 
sent  on  this  perilous  mission  were  Colonels  Gibson  and 
Linn,  the  grandfather  of  the  late  Di .  Lewis  F.  Linn, 
the  much-lamented  senator  from  the  State  of  Missouri. 
These  gentlemen  went  from  Fort  Pitt,  and  descended 
the  Mississippi  River  in  1776,  to  New  Orleans,  by 
order,  it  is  presumed,  from  the  Governor  of  Virginia. 
So  extraordinary  an  adventiu-e  may  well  rccpiire  par 
ticular  confirmation  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  reader, 
and  it  can  be  furnished  to  a  most  remarkable  degree. 
John  Smith,  lately,  that  is,  in  1833,  a  resident  of 
Woodford  County,  State  of  Kentucky,  was,  in  1776, 
employed  in  reconnoitring  the  country  with  James 
Harod,  so  eminently  distinguished  in  the  difficulties 
and  dangers  of  Kentucky.  On  their  return  the  com- 
panions separated ;  Harod  to  go  to  North  Carolina, 
and  Smith  to  Potter's  Creek  on  the  Monongahela. 
While  travelling  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  the 
latter  discovered  Gibson  and  Linn  mth  their  party 
descending  the  river  ;  they  hailed  Smith  and  prevailed 
on  hun  to  embark  on  this,  one  of  the  boldest  of 
Western  adventures.    The  party  succeeded  in  their 


i  i 


8 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


I 
ill 


obj<  ot  with  the  Spanish  government  at  New  Orleans 
by  obtaining  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  kegs  of  gun- 
powder. Mr.  Smith  helped  to  carry  around  the  Falls 
of  the  Ohio  River  this  powder  to  the  mouth  of  Bear 
Grass  Creek,  in  the  spring  of  1777  ;  each  man  carried 
three  kegs  along  the  portage,  one  at  a  time ;  this  gun- 
powder was  delivered  at  Wheeling  or  Fort  Henry,  and 
thence  conveyed  to  Fort  Pitt."  Independent  of  this 
particularity  of  circumstances,  learned  from  an  old  and 
most  venerable  citizen  of  Louisville,  (the  late  Worden 
Pope,  Esq.,  long  a  clerk,  with  untainted  reputation  to 
the  highest  courts  of  law  in  Jefferson  County,  Ken- 
tucky,) it  was  solenmly  deposed  to  in  a  suit  of  law  by 
a  very  respectable  party  in  the  transaction ;  it  was 
frequently  mentioned  by  Col.  Linn  in  his  lifetime,  and 
is  still  known  in  1833,  as  his  information  in  the  family 
left  by  this  gallant  and  most  energetic  man.  To  this 
may  be  well  added  the  manner  in  which  he  met  his 
death,  and  the  heroic  firmness  of  his  last  moments. 
A  few  years  after  the  United  States  had  gained  their 
independence  from  the  yoke  of  England,  Col.  Linn  set 
out  at  the  head  of  sixty  armed  men  on  a  march  against 
a  body  of  hostile  Indians  who  had  foraged  the  White 
settlements  and  taken  many  lives.  At  a  point  near 
what  was  called  Linn's  Station,  not  far  from  Loidsville, 
his  pai'ty  was  met  by  a  force  of  three  hundred  Indian 
warriors,  who  had  received  full  intelUgence  of  his  ap- 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


9 


proach,  and  mustered  in  strength  to  receive  him.  The 
savages  were  composed  of  the  most  daring  and  vindic- 
tive of  the  predatory  bands  infesting  the  great  bend 
of  the  Ohio  River ;  they  were  acquainted  with  all 
forms  assumed"  by  border  warfare  between  the  Red  Men 
and  the  frontier  settlements ;  apart  from  desultory 
affrays  many  of  them  had  borne  part  in  the  most 
memorable  engagement  which  had,  as  yet,  taken  place 
upon  this  continent  between  a  regular  army  in  the 
field,  and  Aboriginal  warrioi-s ;  within  thirty  years  their 
tribes  had  fought  under  the  French  banner  against 
Washington  and  Braddock,  and  they  were  now  arrayed 
within  a  few  days'  march  from,  that  disastrous  battle- 
ground. The  Indians  were  insph'ed  with  furious  ani- 
mosity against  Col.  Linn — his  knowledge  of  their 
character  and  stratagems,  his  superior  sagacity  and 
dauntless  intrcpedity,  his  genius  in  border  warfare, 
and  the  frequency  with  which  they  had  been  defeated 
by  him ;  the  dread  inseparable  from  his  name ;  the 
confidence  and  courage  with  which  his  protection  in- 
spired the  weak  and  isolated  societies  of  his  partisans ; 
added  to  the  frightful  chastisements  with  which  he  had 
repeatedly  visited  their  common  enemy,  combined  to 
render  him,  for  long  years,  an  object  of  deadly  hatred 
and  hereditary  revenge.  This  was  the  era  of  Indian 
cond)ination  and  preconcerted  movements ;  his  destruc- 
tion appeared  inevitable,  and  would  open  the  way  to 


J 


i  I 


10 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


sweep  every  stranger  from  the  land ;  but  in  order  to 
glut  every  horrid  passion  of  their  swarthy  race,  they 
determined  to  take  him  alive  ;  his  death  could  have 
been  easily  effected  as  he  led  on  and  encouraged  his 
men.  Suddenly  a  cry  arose  in  the  English  tongue, 
"  Take  him  !  take  him  alive  !  take  him  alive  !  we  want 
to  eat  his  heart !  "  Instead  of  aiming  at  the  vital 
parts  of  his  person,  they  fired  volley  after  volley  below 
his  knees,  until  his  feet  were  shot  to  pieces  and  the 
bones  of  his  legs  broken.  When  he  fell  the  braves 
rushed  in  to  disarm  and  bear  him  off  alive  ;  but  they 
found  him  in  his  last  hour  the  same  avenging  implaca- 
ble foe  they,  had  dreaded  through  life.  Gaining  his 
knees,  the  dying  hero  grappled  with  his  enemies,  giving 
and  receivhig  many  a  death  wound  before  he  expired. 
Of  them  he  slew,  hand  to  hand,  seven,  before  his  arm 
was  rendered  nerveless  by  death. 

It  is  a  just  reflection,  that  the  most  extraordinary 
acts  of  fortitude  and  brilliant  valor  which  excite  our 
admiration  in  history,  have  been  evinced  in  the  retro- 
grade and  not  onward  course  of  armies.  Gallant 
retreats  and  daring  passages,  whilst  they  warm  our 
sympathies  lead  us  to  forget  that  certain  destruction 
was  willingly  exchanged  for  the  chances  and  probabil- 
ities of  self-extrication,  and  that  chivalrv  alone  which 
dazzles  the  mind  in  the  face  of  death  can  best  explain 
the  steady  onward  course  of  our  early  emigration  to 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


11 


the  barriers  held  by  savage  races,  and  the  strange 
inflexibility  with  which  they  penetrated  the  fertile 
region  and  mountain  labyrinths  beyond  them.  The 
task  was  always  to  force  new  avenues  and  never  to 
retreat  by  old  ones.  Reviewing  the  occupation  of 
districts  in  ancient  Virginia  before  their  erection  into 
separate  States,  we  are  arrested  by  the  number  of  ap- 
palling murders  in  Massachusetts; — forts  surprised; 
block-houses  given  to  the  flames  ;  and  other  evidences 
of  civilization  and  industry  reduced  to  ashes.  The 
heroic  conduct  of  a  vast  number  of  our  admirable 
countrywomen  during  those  distressing  times,  must  be 
a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  their  descendants. 

The  mother  of  Dr.  Linn,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Ann  Himter,  when  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  conveyed 
provisions  on  two  several  occasions,  into  forts  invested 
by  the  Indians,  to  save,  not  only  members  of  her  own 
family,  but  others  who  with  them  were  suffering  for 
food;  young,  active,  and  possessing  great  resolution. 
Miss  Ann  Hunter  eluded  detection  from  the  keenest 
human  vision,  and  with  her  own  hands  carried  into  the 
forts  food  for  her  suffering  friends. 

Mr.  Asael  Linn,  the  father  of  Dr.  Linn,  accom- 
panied four  young  gentlemen  from  his  father's  residence 
near  Louisville,  on  the  Ohio  River,  in  pursuit  of  wild 
game.  Carried  away  with  the  ardor  of  the  chase,  they 
had  gone  some  distance  from  home  before  they  were 


^1 


u 


12 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


aware  of  it,  when  they  suddenly  found  themselves 
surrounded  by  a  number  of  hostile  Indians.  Resistance 
was  vain.  After  one  of  their  party  was  wounded  in 
the  leg  they  were  secured  as  captives  by  the  savages, 
and  forced  across  the  Ohio  River.  The  Indians 
travelled  at  a  rapid  pace,  fearing  pursuit  from  the  white 
settlements.  Lewis  Fields,  although  suffering  greatly 
from  the  wound  in  his  leg,  kept  his  place  among  the 
prisoners  with  the  utmost  difficulty.  The  savages  cast 
looks  of  impatience  and  anger  upon  him  whenever  he 
relaxed  the  speed  at  which  they  were  proceedhig. 
Young  Asael  Linn,  scarcely  twelve  years  of  age,  pressed 
on  before  his  wounded  friend,  and  removed  every 
obstacle  in  his  power  Avhen  he  arrived  at  difficult 
passes ;  another  companion  made  a  rough  crutch  for 
Lewis,  which  enabled  him  to  keep  up  with  the  captors 
and  the  captured.  It  was  by  the  most  strenuous  efforts 
on  his  part  and  the  aid  of  his  friends,  that  his  life  was 
saved,  for  the  Indians  required  but  the  least  pretext  to 
determine  upon  his  instant  death ;  for,  whenever  he 
attempted  to  rest  for  a  moment,  they  grasped  their 
weapons  to  kill  him.  Young  Linn's  efforts  were  solely 
to  save  his  friend  Lewis  Fields.  He  felt  convinced 
that  his  own  death  was  resolved  upon  as  soon  as  they 
should  reach  the  village  of  their  tribe  ;  for,  as  the  son 
of  Col.  Linn,  the  great  white  warrior,  there  was  no 
hope  for  him.     To  watch  his  lingering  death  would  be 


I 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


18 


be 


grateful  to  the  savage  wretches  who  had  so  often 
writhed  under  the  blows  of  his  father.  At  length, 
after  journeying  incessantly  for  three  days,  so  great  a 
distance  had  been  put  between  them  and  the  Ohio 
River,  that  they  supposed  themselves  safe  from  pursuit. 
They  made  an  encampment,  binding  their  captives  to 
trees,  leaving  two  old  Indians  to  guard  them,  while 
the  young  dispersed  to  hunt  in  the  wilderness.  They 
judged  the  youth  of  Linn  and  the  presence  of  the  old 
savages  a  sufficient  security  for  his  remaining  ,  large 
near  his  companions.  The  sequel  shows  how  much 
they  had  miscalculated  the  energy  and  nerve  of  a 
border  youth,  partaking  of  the  blood  of  Col.  WilHam 
Linn.  When  the  shade  of  night  had  descended,  young 
Linn  was  made  to  lie  down  flat  upon  the  ground  :  the 
two  old  Lidians  spread  a  blanket  over  him,  placing 
themselves  on  the  edge  of  it  on  both  sides  of  the  brave 
boy,  Avedging  him  in  between  them,  compressed  by 
the  blanket  with  their  weight  upon  it.  In  a  short  time 
the  old  men,  overpowered  with  fatigue,  fell  into  a  deep 
sleep,  Linn  watched  their  movements  with  intense 
anxiety,  and  when  convinced  his  captors  were  asleep, 
commenced  with  great  dexterity  and  presence  of  mind 
to  draw  his  person  from  under  the  blanket  without 
disturbing  those  upon  it ;  for  if  awakened,  his  death 
would  not  have  been  delayed  one  moment.  When 
liberated  from  his  painful  situation,  the  first  object 


14 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


i 
I, 


I 


Linn  beheld  was  one  of  his  companions,  Mr.  Wells, 
bound  to  a  tree  near  him  ;  and  seeing  from  the  gleams 
of  light  sent  forth  from  the  watch-fire,  a  tomahawk 
near  to  his  hand,  he  seized  it,  and  soon  cut  the  cords 
that  bound  his  friend.  Mr.  Wells  made  him  a  sign 
to  retain  the  weapon,  and  arming  himself  with  another, 
they  drew  near  to  their  blood-thirsty  foes,  and  in  an 
instant  buried  their  tomahawks  in  the  heads  of  the 
Indians.  Weakened  in  frame,  and  of  the  most  humane 
di«5position,  in  spite  of  the  justice  and  necessity  of  the 
act,  Linn's  heart  recoiled  from  putting  a  sleeping  enemy 
to  death,  and  the  wound  he  inflicted,  although  com- 
pletely stunning  in  its  effect,  did  not  produce  death, 
but  left  a  hideous  and  distorting  mutCidon  on  the  face 
of  the  savage.  In  a  few  moments  the  captives  were 
liberated  from  the  cords  that  were  cutting  into  their 
flesh.  Collecting  in  great  haste  a  few  fragments  of 
food,  securing  all  the  hatchets  and  knives  they  could 
find  for  their  defence,  and  concealing  the  guns,  (as  the 
Indians  might  at  any  instant  be  so  near  their  path  as 
to  hear  a  report  from  them,  and  the  weight  of  them 
would  retard  their  flight,)  before  the  Hght  of  day  (a 
bitter  cold  morning  in  the  month  of  November)  these 
five  boys,  not  one  of  them  out  of  his  teens  (Linn  not 
twelve  years  old),  conunenced  their  flight  through  the 
wilderness  towards  the  Ohio  River,  half  starved,  almost 
naked,  and  bearing  with  them  one  of  their  number, 


III 


)  !l 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


15 


wounded,  sore  and  rnppled.  Poor  Lewis  Fields  suf- 
fered so  much  from  his  inflamed  wound  in  consequence 
of  the  great  exertions  he  was  comj)elled  to  make,  that 
he  fre(|uently  stopped  and  implored  his  friends  to  leave 
him  to  his  fate,  and  save  themselves  hy  retreating  more 
rapidly  than  it  was  possible  to  do  while  he  continued 
with  them ;  hut  the  faithful  little  hand  of  friends,  deaf 
to  his  self-devoting  proposition,  urged  him  forward  by 
every  act  of  friendship  and  encouragement  until,  through 
indescribal)le  suffering  of  hunger,  cold  and  lassitude, 
they  stood  once  more  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River. 
Fortunately  they  could  all  swim,  and  it  was  only 
necessary  to  construct  from  the  limbs  of  trees  and 
drift-wood  on  the  shore,  a  raft  large  enough  to  bear 
their  disabled  friend,  and  push  it  before  them  while 
swimming  across  the  river.  Linn  was  so  nmch  ex- 
hausted that  his  friends  feared  he  would  perish  in  the 
water,  and  urged  him  to  get  on  the  raft  with  Fields ; 
but  the  gallant  boy  declined  their  friendly  offer,  assur- 
ing them  that  his  father  had  taught  hun  to  swim  very 
well,  and  that  he  was  still  strong  enough  to  assist  in 
getting  their  friend  across  the  river.  At  the  moment 
the  raft  was  launched  into  the  water,  the  distant  yell 
of  the  Indians  in  piu*suit  was  heard.  They  had  struck 
the  trail  of  the  youths  and  were  now  almost  upon  them. 
Straining  every  nerve,  the  gallant  boys  soon  gained  the 
middle  of  the  river,  while  the  frail  raft  appeared  as  if 


16 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


I  I  It 


(  .! 


S    ! 


it  would  go  to  pieces  under  the  slight  weight  of  Fields. 
As  the  Indians  arrived  one  after  another  at  the  water's 
edge,  they  fired  at  the  fugitives,  but  fortunately  the 
distance  was  so  great  they  were  unable  to  do  them  any 
injiu*y;  and  the  reports  of  their  guns  attracted  the 
attention  of  some  settlers  working  on  the  Kentucky 
side  of  the  river,  who  immediately  came  to  their 
reUef.  Although  exhausted  and  half  dead,  Linn 
still  retained  his  hold  upon  the  raft,  but  entirely  in- 
sensible, and  at  first  it  was  thought  he  had  expired. 
He  was  carried  home,  and  after  remaining  for  three 
days  wholly  unconscious,  awoke  to  a  sense  of  external 
things  in  the  arms  of  his  mother.  His  life  was  spared, 
and  he  grew  up  to  a  manhood  of  great  energy  and 
exalted  worth.  Many  years  afterwards,  when  the 
country  had  become  peaceful,  Linn  met  his  old  enemy 
the  Indian,  whom  in  his  boyhood  he  had  deprived  of 
so  large  a  portion  of  his  face,  and,  touched  with  his 
horrid  appearance,  bestowed  on  him  an  annuity  for  life. 
The  mother  of  Dr.  Linn  was  married  twice.  Her 
name,  it  has  already  been  stated,  was  Ann  Hunter. 
This  admirable  and  courageous  lady  did  not  live  to  see 
an  event  unknown  to  the  history  of  any  other  family 
in  our  country,  both  of  her  sons  and  one  of  her  grand- 
sons Senators  of  the  United  States  Senate,  at  periods 
nearly  simultaneous.  Her  first  marriage  was  contracted 
with  Mr.  Israel  Dodge,  of  Louisville,  the  father  of  the 


U 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


17 


Hon.  Henry  Dodge,  United  States  Senator  from  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  and  of  Mrs.  Nancy  Sifton  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  After  the  loss  of  her  first  husband, 
Mrs.  Dodge  was  united  to  Mr.  Asael  Linn  of  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky.  Lewis  Fields  Linn  and  Mary  Ann 
Linn  were  their  only  offspring  who  siurvived  to  maturity. 

Much  might  here  be  said  of  the  half  brother  of 
Dr.  Linn,  but  these  are  not  the  pages  to  narrate  the 
eventful  life  of  Senator  Henry  Dodge,  for  they  are 
devoted  to  the  memory  of  one  whose  being  was  derived 
from  the  same  beloved  mother,  and  among  its  dearest 
recollections  may  justly  be  inscribed  the  tender  affectiwi 
that  bound  her  two  sons  together ;  yet  there  is  one,  who 
deems  it  her  privilege  to  say  that  for  long  years,  with 
thrilling  pleasure,  she  has  witnessed  the  truth,  honor, 
magnanimity,  and  heroic  firmness,  so  conspicuous  in 
the  character  of  a  husband's  only  brother,  and  equally 
so  in  that  brother's  son,  the  Hon.  Augustus  J.  Dodge. 

The  death  of  both  their  parents  left  Lewis  F.  Linn 
and  his  sister  Mary  orphans  early  in  life ;  the  latter 
being  thirteen  years  of  age  and  her  brother  twelve 
years  old.  Between  the  brother  and  sister  a  remark- 
able similarity  of  character  and  personal  resemblance 
existed  ;  both  had  the  same  resolution  and  precocious 
self-reliance,  with  the  same  elevated  and  fea  Jes;^  spirit ; 
they  both  possessed  great  personal  beauty,  set  off  by 
gentle  unassuming  manners ;  both  were  equally  en- 


^■i,*! 


„,,, 


18 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


I    t 


dowed  with  guileless,  generous  hearts — ever  anxious  to 
perform  for  their  friends  the  most  liberal  and  unselfish 
services.  Unhappily  the  cheerful  and  buoyant  spirits 
which  Miss  Linn  had  at  all  times  possessed,  and  which 
bore  her  up  under  the  greatest  misfortunes  and  afflic- 
tions, were  frequently  overcast  and  oppressed  in  the 
temperament  of  her  brother.  She  was  always  animated 
and  full  of  hope,  while  he  at  times  from  his  infancy 
labored  under  a  great  depression  of  mind :  the  fatal 
disease  of  the  heart  which  cut  him  off  prematurely 
from  a  world,  fast  learning  to  love  and  admire  him, 
affected  his  health  and  induced  periods  of  the  greatest 
despondency.  The  knowledge  he  attained  of  his  pro- 
fession in  early  life,  informed  him  too  surely  of  the 
tenure  by  which  his  existence  was  held.  When  these 
melancholy  moments  weighed  him  down,  he  never  re- 
pined, but  by  his  touching  sweetness  of  temper,  and 
unaffected  gratitude  to  those  around  him  for  their  kind 
attentions  and  sympathy,  drew  them  still  nearer  to  him, 
and  opened  too  fully  their  hearts  to  the  anguish  of  his 
own  predictions.  He  was  left,  it  has  just  been  stated, 
at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  to  struggle  for  the  future. 
Resolved  that  it  should  be  an  honorable  one  to  him,  as 
soon  as  his  fifteenth  year  was  attained  he  commenced  a 
course  of  self-education.  Making  use  of  every  means 
in  his  power,  he  endeavored  to  compensate  for  that 
want   of  early  academical  education  inevitable  in  all 


LIFE    OP    DR.    LINN. 


19 


ixious  to 
unselfish 
nt  spirits 
id  which 
nd  afflic- 
d  in  the 
animated 
\  infancy 
the  fatal 
iniaturely 
lire  him, 
3  greatest 
his  pro- 
ly  of  the 
len  these 
never  re- 
iper,  and 
leir  kind 
to  him, 
ih  of  his 
stated, 
future, 
him,  as 
icnced  a 
means 
ir  that 
in  all 


new  countries,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine 
with  Dr.  Gault,  of  Louisville. 

Among   the  predilections  of  his  earliest  boyhood 
Dr.  Linn  evinced  a  strong  inclination  to  devote  himself 
to  the  profession  of  medicine,  and  following  his  desires 
on  this  subject,  his  health  became  seriously  impaired 
by  unremitting  application  to  his  studies,  and  at  the 
end  of  two  years  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  resort 
to  some  relaxation  from  his  labor  and  enjoy  a  period 
of  leisure  and  change  of  scene.     He  proceeded  to  St. 
Genevieve,  in  Missouri,  to  visit  his  sister  Mar}-^,  (who 
was  then  married  to  Mr.  McArthur,)  and  his  half 
brother.  Gen.    Henry  Dodge.     During  his  residence 
with  these  relatives  the  war  with  Great  Britain  broke 
out.     No  surgeon  being  attached  to  the  troops  com- 
manded by  Gen.  Dodge,  he  accompanied  them  in  that 
capacity,  and  at  the  close  of  the  campaign,  with  restored 
health  and  an  increased  desire  to  pursue  his  medical 
studies,  he  returned  to  Louisville,  and  continued  some 
time  with  Dr.  Gault,  and  ultimately  proceeded  to  Phil- 
adelphia for  the  purpose  of  embracing  the  facilities  and 
advantages  that  city  has  always  afforded  to  medical 
students.     The  presence  of  his  sister  and  half  brother 
at  St.  Genevieve  decided  Dr.  Linn  to  make  that  place 
his  residence  and  the  field  of  his  professional  pursuits. 
By  his  own  energy  and  ability  he  had  mastered  one 
of  the  most  honorable   and  benevolent   callings   of 


XO  LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 

civilized  society  ;  nnd  at  tlie  age  of  twenty-one  found 
himself  established  as  a  physician  in  one  of  the  most 
refined  and  intelligent  connmmities  of  the  West. 

At  the  period  Dr.  Linn  established  himself  in  St. 
Genevieve,  it  retained  the  distinguishing  characteristics 
impressed  upon  it  by  its  original  settlers.  They 
bestowed  the  name  of  the  "  Gloriense  patronne  de 
Paris  "  upon  this,  their  new  home  in  the  "  far  Avest,"  and 
from  the  banks  of  the  Seine  transplanted  thither,  with 
their  cherished  faith,  all  the  amenities  of  a  high  civili- 
zation, the  attentive  politeness,  the  cultivated  and 
polished  maimers,  and  the  chivalrous  gallantry  peculiar 
to  the  true  son  of  France.  These  primordial  bless- 
ings, now  transmitted  through  many  successive  genera- 
tions, are  sparklingly  salient  over  the  surface  of  society 
in  this  and  other  quiet  communities  of  similar  origin, 
and  cannot  escape  the  notice  of  the  least  incurious 
observer.  Perhaps  it  may  be  considered  out  of  place 
in  a  narrative  like  this  to  present  these  facts,  but  there 
is  so  much  misconception  of  the  true  character  of  these 
most  estimable  citizens ;  so  much  hatefid  prejudice,  and 
almost  inexcusable  ignorance  relative  to  them,  that  one 
who  went  among  them  a  stranger,  of  other  affinity, 
association,  habits,  education,  and  religion,  vividly  re- 
taining a  remembrance  of  the  numberless  kindnesses 
received  at  their  hands  during  a  long  series  of  years, 
is  impelled  by  a  feeUng  of  gratitude  and  a  sense  of 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


21 


justice,  to  endeavor,  liowcver  feebly,  to  dispel  these 
most  erroneous,  though  conimonly  received  opinions. 
A  proper  information  would  have  prevented  many,  well- 
intended,  from  having  been  betrayed  into  sj)eech  and 
action,  tlie  impression  of  wliich  tliey  subsequently 
deemed  necessary  to  erase  by  a  mortifying  apology. 
With  a  charitable  intent,  it  is  desired  most  gently  to 
say  to  any  young  lady  who  may  happen  to  peruse  these 
lines,  that,  if  it  should  be  her  fortune  in  the  great 
assemblies  of  the  Atlantic  cities,  to  meet  a  young 
person  of  her  own  sex  from  these  ancient  towns  on  the 
river  or  prairie,  that  she  should  not  treat  her  as  a 
semi-barbarian,  and  refrain  joining  in  the  invidious  re- 
marks which  the  appearance  of  a  "  creole  "  may  occa- 
sion. Let  her  receive  some  idea  that  this  "  creole " 
girl  is  better  instructed  in  her  duty  to  her  Maker  and 
towards  her  neighbor,  than  she  is  likely  to  be  ;  and  is 
at  least  her  equal  in  all  the  proficiencies  of  a  polite 
education.  The  unlady-like  conduct  intimated  is 
related  to  have  occurred,  and  though  politeness  and 
self-respect  forbade  retort,  others  heard  the  unfounded 
sarcasm,  and  made  a  comparison  between  its  modest 
subject  and  the  pretentious  beauty  who  so  incautiously 
uttered  it,  far  from  complimentary,  though  she  was 
the  favorite  of  a  fashionable  boarding-school,  and  the 
belle  and  toast  of  the  locality.  The  very  word  "  creole  " 
as  usually  received  and  applied  in  the  more  Eastern 


22 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


I ,   i  , 


']  !l 


States,  is  a  perversion  of  its  meaning.  The  fair  de- 
scendants of  those  who  first  landed  at  Jamestown,  of 
those  who  were  wafted  in  the  "  Ark  and  the  Dove  " 
to  the  land  of  Mary,  those  who  came  in  the  "  May- 
flower" to  the  bleak  shore  of  the  "  Old  Colony,"  or  in 
the  succeedhig  ships  to  the  more  inviting  ports  on  the 
"  Bay,"  are  properly  as  much  Creoles  (m  itii  ilic  prefix  of 
English)  as  their  fellow  countrywomen  along  the  great 
Father  of  Waters.  The  term  Creole  simply  designs 
to  signify  the  children  c.f  European  parents  born  in 
America  or  the  Indies,  and  their  descendants.  As 
usually  applied,  it  is  incori'ect  and  offensive,  and  being 
so,  should  be  disused  by  every  considerate  person. 

The  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,  as  the  remote 
initial  point  of  interest  to  its  settlers,  was  effected  by 
Fernando  De  Soto  in  1541 ;  its  shore  was  the  ter- 
minus of  all  his  mundane  hopes,  aspirations,  difficulties 
and  disasters ;  its  depths  received  his,  the  first  Christian 
corse,  over  which  its  waters  sang  its  monody,  and  its 
current  conveyed  the  disheartened  and  shattered  re- 
mains of  his  unfortunate  expedition  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  survivors  made  report  of  this  acquisition 
to  geographical  knowledge,  but  from  deficiency  in  the 
requisite  science  of  that  day,  or  loss  of  proper  instru- 
ments to  determine,  or  of  leaders  most  competent  to 
define  it,  the  exact  place  of  disembogucment  for  a  long 
period  was  mystical.     Subsequent  events  have  shown 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


23 


the  vast  importance  of  this  stupendous  stream,  and  the 
advent  of  De  Soto  is  appropriately  commemorated  on 
the  canvas  that  adorns  the  rotunda  of  our  national 
Capitol. 

The  next  approach  of  the  European  was  from  the 
north  through  Canada,  which  appellation  is  said  to 
have  been  formed  by  that  given  in  disappointment  by 
ihe  first  discoverers  of  the  sterile  coast  leading  thereto 
— "  Capo  di  Nada,"  or  the  Cape  of  Nothing.  It  was 
named  New  France  by  Jacques  Cartier.  who  ascended 
the  Saint  LaA\Tence  in  1533  as  far  as  the  Isle  of 
Orleans.  Before  that  period  the  French  had  made 
several  unsuccessful  essays  at  settlement  at  different 
points  upon  this  continent.  A  few  years  afterward, 
Cartier  with  La  Roche  Robertval  attempted  to  plant  a 
colony,  which  was  not  more  fortunate ;  from  time  to 
time  others  followed,  but  the  inhospitable  climate  and 
the  hostility  of  the  natives  prevented  all  permanent 
settlement.  It  was  not  until  1608  that  thev  were  able 
to  retain  a  residence.  Champlain  early  in  July  of  that 
year  laid  the  foundation  of  Quebec,  and  to  conciliate 
(lis  immediate  neighbors,  the  Hurons  and  Algonquins, 
aided  them  in  their  war  with  the  Iroquois.  He  secured 
the  friendship  of  the  first  named ,  and  the  enmity  of 
the  warlike  Iroquois  continued  towards  his  countrymen 
for  nearly  a  century,  preventing  their  advance  south- 
ward until  after  the  occupation  of  New  York  by  the 


! 


!M 


24 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


i|| 


Dutch  and  English.  Dangers,  suffering,  and  privations 
in  every  shape  attended  the  feeble  colony  for  many 
years.  In  1G20  there  were  but  100  inhabitants  in 
Quebec,  men,  women  and  children.  But  the  French 
had  penetrated  a  great  distance  northwardly  and  west- 
wardly,  and  were  sparsely  settled  on  the  trail  to  the 
valley  of  the  Ottawa.  The  Jesuit  Fathers  Breboeuf 
and  Daniel,  had  entered  the  wilderness  as  far  as  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Superior  as  early  as  1634,  by 
way  of  the  Ottawa ;  and  this  dangerous  and  difficult 
route  was  the  one  followed  by  the  missionaries  and 
voyageurs  for  many  years,  the  easier  way  by  Lake 
Ontario  being  closed  by  the  hostility  of  the  Iroquois. 
In  1659  a  bishop's  see  was  created,  and  Francis  de 
Leval,  the  proto  prelate  of  North  America  arrived.  In 
1665  the  government  of  France  considered  the  colony 
of  such  importance  as  to  deem  it  fit  to  send  thither,  for 
the  first  time,  a  regiment  of  soldiers  for  its  protection. 
The  French  possessed  a  great  excellency  in  their  new 
country  by  having  among  them  a  number  of  the  much- 
abused  sons  of  Saint  Ignatius.  From  these  models 
of  piety,  prudence  and  discrimination,  in  any  emer- 
gency, they  could  ahvays  obtain  the  best  advice,  and 
often,  when  within  the  object  of  their  mission,  r ,  .eived 
the  invaluable  aid  of  their  personal  assistance.  These 
exemplars  of  true  courage  were  ever  in  advance  of  the 


i    '1 ' 

1  ii'ji                             most  venturesome    voyageurs; 

the  great    American 

1  ''  1 

1 ; 

1 

* 

1 

i 

:  ■ 

■ 

1 

LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


26 


historian  says  of  them :  "  The  histoiy  of  their  labors 
is  connected  with  the  origin  of  every  celebrated  town 
in  the  annals  of  French  America;  not  a  river  was 
entered,  not  a  cape  was  turned,  but  a  Jesuit  led  the 
way."  Indeed,  for  many  years  they  were  the  main 
stay  of  the  feeble  colony,  and  but  for  them,  left  as  it 
was,  almost  entirely  to  its  own  resoiu-ces,  must  have 
succumbed  in  their  inclement  climate  to  the  hostile 
natives.  The  "  Blacl:  Gown  "  proved  a  more  powerful 
protection  than  a  band  of  armed  soldiery. 

In  1G67,  Father  Allouez,  being  on  the  mission 
among  the  Chippewas,  Sioux,  Potawatamics,  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  by  his  influence  had  reconciled  their  animosities 
and  established  peace  among  them.  He  here  received 
information  of  a  large  river,  unlike  any  that  was  as  yet 
known  in  their  territory  to  Europeans,  which  rolled  its 
waters  in  a  southern  direction.  Anxious  to  acquire  a 
correct  idea  of  the  topography  of  the  immense  wilder- 
ness which  he  had  entered,  he  retained  the  rude  map 
which  the  unlettered  but  observant  savage  had  depicted, 
and  noting  the  time  stated  as  necessary  to  proceed  from 
one  indicated  point  to  another,  attained  some  approach 
to  information  as  regards  distance,  as  well  as  direction. 
These  faithful  symbols,  with  appropriate  questioning, 
were  placed  before  other  succeeding  parties  of  aborigi- 
nal friends  of  a  more  southern  residence,  and  received 
additions  and  confirmation.     The  French  were  con- 


i 


I. 


26 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


vinced  of  the  existence  of  a  river  of  great  volume  of 
water,  but  where  it  would  lead  them  they  could  only 
conjecture : — would  it  afford  them  the  much-coveted 
passage  to  the  South  Sea  ?  or  was  it  the  lost  river  of 
De  Soto  ?  It  was  resolved  to  verify  their  information 
and  dispel  their  doubts,  and  if  possible,  by  an  expedition 
to  find  and  examine  this  flow  of  water,  which  seemed 
to  promise  such  transcendent  advantages.  Father 
AUouez  returned  to  Quebec  in  1669  ;  and  Fathers 
Marquette  and  Dablon  were  sent  to  the  mission  at  the 
Sault  de  Saiiite  Marie.  At  this  distant  point  the 
Jesuits  had  assembled  neophytes  from  almost  all  the 
tribes  among  whom  their  brethren  labored ;  even  at 
that  early  day  was  there  present  a  representative  of 
the  only  tribe  of  the  Red  Men  on  the  Atlantic  border 
that  yet  possess  a  portion  of  their  paternal  heritage ; 
the  long-suffering,  faithful,  docile,  patient,  and  once 
powerful  Penobscot.  In  thus  collecting  the  youth  of 
their  charge  there  was  more  than  one  object  in  view, 
all  worthy  of  praise  and  complimentary  to  the  sagacity 
said  to  be  peculiar  to  their  society  ;  they  were  desirous 
those  they  were  instructing  should  be  free  from  the 
allurements  and  distractions  which  their  larger  establish- 
ments might  expose  them  to  ;  they  thought  to  bring  the 
neighboring  Pagans  to  terms  of  greater  amity  and 
confidence,  by  an  exhibition  of  the  mutual  affection 
between  them  and  tlieu'  pupils ;  they  desired  also  to 


III 


11: 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


27 


be  taught,  and  by  teaching,  learn  themselves;  they 
considered  it  was  of  primary  importance  that  mission- 
aries should  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  various 
languages  of  the  people  to  whom  they  are  sent,  and 
it  was  thought  by  assembling  the  different  dialects  and 
idioms  in  the  new  France,  they  might,  by  study  and 
observation,  discover  the  radix  of  them  all,  and  per- 
haps construct  a  language  intelligible  to  all.  This  last 
object  they  soon  found  to  present  insuperable  difficul- 
ties. A  philosophical  writer  whose  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  this  subject  (if  his  personal  and  political 
enemies  are  to  be  credited),  by  a  very  different  motive, 
asserts  that  there  are  twenty  radical  languages  among 
the  native  Americans,  for  one  in  Asia. 

After  remaining  at  St.  Marie  for  about  two  years, 
acquiring  the  idiom  nearest  the  scene  of  his  sun^ey, 
and  making  himself  master  of  the  unspoken  language 
which  has  since  been  so  serviceable  to  many  succeeding 
adventurers  through  the  wilds  and  over  the  wastes  of 
this  continent,  with  a  few  select  companions,  Father 
Marquette  commenced  his  arduous  undertaking;  the 
charge  of  the  material  of  the  expedition  was  intrusted 
to  Joliet,  an  experienced  trader  among  the  Indians, 
and  one  variously  well  qualified  to  be  of  great  service 
to  the  enterprise  in  which  they  were  embarked.  Their 
course  was  southwestwardly,  and  reaching  Green  Bay 
ascended  the  Neenah  or  Fox  River;   and  over  the 


28 


LIFE   OF  DR.   LINN. 


portage,  which,  from  the  formation  of  the  country, 
offered  much  less  formidable  obstacles  than  had  been 
anticipated,  they,  through  the  River  Ouisconsin, 
entered  a  great  stream  with  a  southern  current,  the 
object  of  their  desu*e  ;  they  descended  to  what  is  now 
the  Chickasaw  Bluffs.  Fully  convinced  they  had  at- 
tained the  great  object  of  their  voyage,  they  commenced 
their  arduous  ascent  against  the  current ;  they  entered 
the  Illinois,  and  from  the  head  waters  of  that  river 
crossed  to  the  creek  which  enters  Lake  Michigan,  near 
where  is  now  the  flourishing  city  of  Chicago.  The 
pious  Marquette  remained  to  satisfy  the  yearnings  of 
his  compassionate  heart  in  devoting  the  best  energies 
of  his  nature  to  the  labor  of  his  love — the  conversion 
and  instruction  of  the  poor  Pagans.  Joliet  returned 
to  Canada  with  a  report  of  the  result,  and  the  observa- 
tions which  had  been  noted  at  the  different  points  of 
interest  during  their  progress.  The  Canadians  were 
much  elated  with  Joliet's  success,  and  for  years  it  was 
thought  that  a  way  to  the  Indies  was  through  their 
territory :  there  was  a  special  service  of  thanksgiving 
in  the  Cathedral  and  the  Te  Deum  chanted.  But  the 
government  of  New  France  had  its  attention  occupied 
with  matters  of  more  immediate  interest,  and  Averc 
without  the  means  to  follow  the  discovery  with  another 
and  better  appointed  expedition.     A  private  individual 


country, 
had  been 
iiisconsin, 
trent,  the 
at  is  now 
y  had  at- 
nmenced 
r  entered 
iiat  river 
^an,  near 
o.     The 
nings  of 
energies 
iversion 
eturned 
)bserva- 
)ints  of 
were 

it  was 
tlieir 

giving 

ut  the 

!upied 
were 

lother 

ddual 


m 


LIFE    OF   DR.   LINN. 


29 


from  his  own  resources  was  destined  to  effect  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  exploration  to  the  sea. 

Robert  Cavelier  de  la  Salle,  a  native  of  the  city  of 
Rouen,  a  gentleman  of  great  natural  abilities  and  of 
competent  education,  who  had  been  received  as  a  novice 
in  a  house  of  Jesmts  where  he  remained  some  years  ; 
but  finding  his  vocation  was  other  than  that  of  the 
ministry,  at  his  own  request  received  his  dismission, 
and  with  the  written  commendation  of  his  superior 
entered  into  secular  employments.  He  embarked  for 
New  France,  and  was  there  first  established  as  a  fur 
trader  at  La  Chine.  The  recital  of  Joliet  moved  his 
ardent  temperament  to  action ;  he  represented  to  the 
Count  de  Frontenac  the  governor,  all  the  various  ad- 
vantages that  must  accrue  to  Canada  and  to  France 
upon  the  completion  of  the  discovery,  and  pressed  the 
necessity  of  taking  steps  to  secure  the  prize  offered  to 
them.  Frontenac  assented  to  his  views,  and  event- 
ually sent  La  Salle  to  France,  recommending  him  and 
his  purpose  to  the  court.  La  Salle  was  favorably 
received  at  Paris.  He  was  made  commandant  and 
proprietor  at  Fort  Cataracoui,  received  a  grant  of  land, 
the  king's  approbation,  and  his  patent  of  nobility — 
but  no  money.  For  that  powerful  agent  of  good  or 
evil  he  had  to  rely  upon  his  ovm  talents,  industry,  and 
fortune  for  supply.  He  engaged  the  Chevalier  de 
Tonti,  a  Neapolitan,  hi  liis  enterprise,  and  having  pur- 


lil 


30 


LIFE   OE   DR.    LINN. 


chased  a  large  supply  of  goods  suitable  for  the  Indian 
trade,  which  his  previous  experience  had  taught  the 
value  of  in  the  new  country,  sailed  with  a  company  of 
thirty,  among  whom  were  the  mechanics  necessary  for 
his  purpose.  He  safely  anived,  and  at  once  proceeded 
to  Cataracoui ;  this  fort,  after\vards  called  Frontenac, 
was  built  in  1670,  and  was  of  great  service  in  securing 
the  navigation  westwardly  by  the  lakes.  The  city  of 
Kingston  is  now  situnted  upon  its  site.  He  made  his 
arrangements  in  the  most  prompt  and  business-like 
manner,  sending  parties  to  prepare  the  natives  for  his 
coming,  and  to  barter  his  goods  for  furs,  from  the  sale 
of  which  he  mainly  depended  to  secure  the  means  of 
defraying  the  expense  of  his  expedition.  Having 
built  a  small  vessel,  he  left  Cataracoui  in  the  middle  of 
November,  1678,  and  after  a  tedious  and  tempestuous 
voyage  reached  the  western  side  of  the  lake,  and  de- 
termined to  winter  near  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  Sending 
some  parties  of  his  men  in  various  directions  among 
the  Indians,  and  employing  others  in  the  construction 
of  another  and  larger  barque  above  the  Falls,  near  the 
mouth  of  Tonnewanda  Creek,  he  retiuned  to  Fort 
Frontenac  for  further  supplies,  with  which  he  again 
arrived  the  following  spring.  Having  launched  and 
freighted  "  The  Griffon  "  the  first  vessel  that  ploughed 
the  great  inland  seas  of  America,  equipped  with  artil- 
lery, he  pointed  the  prow  of  his  argosy  to  the  regions 


LIFE   OF   DR.  LINN. 


81 


of  his  hope  and  expectation  on  the  seventh  of  August, 
1679.  SaiHng  over  unknown  waters,  his  progress  was 
slow.  Staying  some  time  at  Michihmacanac,  lie  entered 
Green  Bay  in  the  early  part  of  October,  whence  he 
sent  the  Griffon  richly  laden  with  furs  upon  her  return 
voyage.  He  built  a  fort  among  the  Miamies  near  the 
Saint  Joseph's  river,  where  he  anxiously  awaited  the 
arrival  of  his  vessel  until  December.  Leaving  there  a 
small  garrison,  with  instructions  for  the  captain  of  the 
Gritfon,  he  with  the  Chevalier  De  Tonti  and  thirty-three 
men  departed,  some  in  canoes  upon  the  St.  Joseph, 
and  by  portage  to  the  Kankeekee,  and  others  by  land 
to  the  Illinois,  which  the  whole  party  descended  as  far 
as  a  large  Indian  village  near  Lake  Peoria,  where  they 
met  a  hospitable  reception,  and  were  freely  furnished 
with  supplies  of  provisions  which  they  greatly  needed. 
About  sixty  miles  lower,  with  the  consent  of  the 
natives,  it  was  determined  to  build  a  fort  and  await 
intelligence  from  his  vessel.  Here  his  men  became 
discontented  and  disheartened,  a  mutinous  spirit  was 
apparent,  some  deserted,  among  them  were  mechanics 
upon  whom  he  relied  for  the  construction  of  the  boats 
necessary  for  the  descent  of  the  great  river;  the  Indians 
who  had  been  friendly,  became  jealous  of  his  purpose 
among  them,  and  charged  him  with  behig  in  alliance 
with  their  enemies,  the  Iroquois  ;  and  to  fill  the  cup 
of  calamity,  news  of  the  loss  of  his  valued  GriflPon 


32 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


and  cargo  reached  him  in  January.  Yet  under  all 
these  adversities  La  Salle's  energy  and  courage  was 
unbroken.  By  his  personal  influence  the  confidence 
of  the  natives  and  the  fealty  of  his  followers  were  again 
secured,  when  he  determined  to  return  to  IVoncenac 
Fort  for  assistance  and  supplies.  Having  phmned  an 
expedition  to  go  up  the  great  river  towards  its  soiu'ce, 
in  his  absence  he  left  Fort  Creve  Cceur,  which  he  so 
named  because  of  the  adversities  that  beset  him  there, 
and  with  but  three  companions  threaded  his  perilous 
way  through  the  trackless  wilds  in  safety  to  Canada. 
Here  he  met  with  new  difticidties — ^liis  creditors  were 
clamorous ;  the  means  by  which  he  had  expected  to 
satisfy  their  claims  had  been  ingulfed  with  his  vessel : 
but  he  did  not  despair ;  his  perseverance  and  energy 
gained  hhn  friends  and  assistance. 

Among  those  who  had  accompanied  him  to  Fort 
Creve  Cojur  was  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  a  Recollect ;  to 
him  was  hitrusted  the  exploration  of  the  upper  portion 
of  the  river.  It  left  the  fort  in  a  canoe  near  the  end 
of  February,  1G80.  Six  men  being  the  party  with 
Father  Hennepin,  they  descended  the  Illinois  to  the 
Mississippi,  then  fidl  of  running  ice,  which  they  as- 
cended in  despite  of  difficulty,  delay  and  danger,  to 
the  falls,  which  received  the  name  of  Saint  Anthony, 
to  whose  spiritual  intercession  the  intent,  progress,  and 
consummation  of  the  expedition  from  its  commence- 


'fgf-r- 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


33 


ment  had  been  especially  comniitted.  .  Correctly  infer- 
ring from  the  volume  of  water  that  it  was  the  great 
drain  of  a  vast  extent  of  unknown  territory,  they 
intended  further  discov»iry,  but  were  made  prisoners  by 
a  band  of  Sioux  Ind'ans,  and  for  a  time  held  and 
treated  by  them  as  slaves.  Escaphig  from  their  red 
masters  they  descended  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ouisconsin, 
and  by  the  route  of  Father  Marquette's  coming,  reached 
the  mission  at  Green  Bay.  Ambitious  of  effecting  La 
Salle's  main  design,  he  again  entered  the  Mississippi, 
going  as  far  down  that  river  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansas  only,  and  not  the  ocean  as  has  been  asserted. 
Late  in  the  autumn  he  reached  the  Illinois,  and  re- 
turned to  Europe  the  following  year. 

De  Tonti,  who  had  been  left  in  command  at  Fort 
Crev6  Coeur,  found  himself  in  a  precarious  situation  on 
account  of  the  hostilities  between  the  lUinois  and  the 
Iroquois.  He  was  between  the  belligerent  tribes,  and 
it  was  no  part  of  his  purpose  to  side  with  either;  and 
he  deemed  it  prudent  to  retire  to  Fort  Miami,  whic^ 
he  reached  in  September.  In  the  spring  of  1681  La 
Salle  rejoined  him  there,  and  peace  being  restored,  they 
again  reoccupied  Fort  Creve  Coeur.  The  summer  of 
this  year  La  Salle  spent  in  visiting  his  different  trading 
posts,  and  cementing  the  alliance  with  the  Miamies  and 
his  new  friends  on  the  Illinois.  In  November,  to  com- 
plete his  arrangements  he  again  returned  to  Canada, 
8 


34 


LIFE   OP  DR.    LINN. 


ill 
jiiillll 


ill 


and  thence  in  January  to  Fort  Crcv^  Ca3ur.  On  the 
2d  of  February,  1682,  he  and  his  companions  were 
floating  with  the  mighty  current  of  the  great  Father 
of  Waters,  occasionally  stopping  for  amicable  inter- 
course with  the  natives.  They  rapidly  descended,  every 
day  dawning  upon  new  wonders,  and  every  night 
witnessing  their  watch  of  apprehension,  until  their 
vision  was  greeted  on  the  7th  of  April  by  the  billowy 
expanse  of  the  "  American  Sea,"  proving  one  of  the 
surmises  of  Allouez  to  be  a  verity :  indeed,  there  are 
those  who  think  the  other  will  not  always  remain  as  a 
mere  conjecture ;  for  men  of  cool  heads  and  matured 
judgment,  with  a  life-long  acquaintance  with  the  subject, 
and  from  a  point  of  view  which  best  enables  them  to 
make  the  declaration,  are  of  opinion  that  the  rich 
products  of  famed  Cathay  and  furthest  Ind  will  yet 
come  westward,  to  be  water-borne  on  the  capacious 
bosom  of  the  swift-rolling  Mississippi.  Le  Page  du 
Pratz  says,  that  this  name  is  the  French  contraction  of 
the  savage  term  Meacht  Chassi^j^i,  which  literally  de- 
notes the  ancient  Father  of  Rivers. 

La  Salle,  with  his  little  frail  flotilla,  exposed  to  all 
the  influences  of  the  elements,  having  achieved  a  dis- 
covery, extending  on  one  continuous  stream  over  more 
degrees  of  latitude  than  any  yet  accomplished,  felt 
himself  recompensed  for  all  his  previous  labors,  priva- 
tions and  disappointments ;  his  great  mind  penetrated 


M 


I   \ 


^'' 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


85 


futurity,  and  comprehended  the  vast  results.  Ascend- 
ing the  river  above  the  marshes,  he  landed  upon  the 
first  firm  ground,  and  took  formal  possession  with  all 
the  solemnity  of  religious  and  military  ceremony.  A 
column  was  erected  with  the  arms  of  France  affixed,  and 
the  inscription : 

"  Louis  le  Grand, 

Roi  de  France  et  Navarre,  Regne ; 

Le  neuvieme  Avril,  1682," 

the  whole  party  chanting  the  Te  Deum,  the  Exaudiat, 
the  Dotnine  salvumfac  Begem. 

La  Salle  in  a  loud  voice  made  the  proclamation  of 
possession  and  demanded  the  act  of  the  notary.  A 
cross  was  erected,  the  Vexilla  was  intoned,  and  they 
fondly  hoped  they  had  planted  the  germ  of  Christianity 
as  well  as  their  evidence  of  French  sovereignty  in  the 
soil  of  the  vast  valley.  A  metal  plate  with  an  inscrip- 
tion in  Latin  was  buried  at  the  foot  of  a  tree.  The 
proems  demanded  was  made  and  signed  by  La  Metaire, 
the  notary,  and  was  also  signed  by  La  Salle,  Father 
Zenobe  Mambre,  De  Tonti,  and  ten  others  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  party.  After  staying  a  short  time  to 
refi-esh  his  men,  he  proceeded  homeward,  until  ^e 
reached  the  Chickasaws,  among  whom  on  his  downward 
voyage  he  had  erected  a  small  stockade  which  he  called 
Fort  Prud'homme,  from  the  name  of  the  person  he 


36 


LIFE   OF    DR     LINN. 


had  there  left  in  charge ;  here  he  was  taken  ill,  the 
result  of  excitement,  anxiety,  and  fatigue  he  had 
encountered,  and  remained  seven  weeks  with  most  of 
his  men,  sending  De  Tonti  with  the  others  to  the 
Illinois  to  take  charge  of  his  various  posts.  In  Sep- 
tember he  himself  reached  there,  and  some  of  his 
followers,  attracted  by  vhe  beauty  of  the  country,  and 
rightly  judging  they  would  soon  be  jclned  by  more  of 
their  kindred  when  the  result  of  their  exploration 
should  be  known,  preferred  remaining ;  and  the  date 
of  the  first  European  residents  in  the  great  valley  of 
the  Mississippi  may  be  stated  to  commence  in  the  year 
1682 ; — they  settled  at  Kaskaskm  and  Cahokia.  La 
Salle  sent  Father  Zenobe  to  France  with  his  report  of 
his  discovery.  The  first  great  political  event  conse- 
quent thereto  was  the  claim  of  his  Most  Christian 
Majesty,  Louis  XIV.,  to  rlie  territory  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river  to  the  western  limits  of  Spanish  Florida, 
the  English  Carolinas  and  Virginia  to  the  Illinois,  and 
on  the  west,  along  the  shore  of  the  gulf  to  the  provinces 
of  Mexico  and  their  eastern  boundaries ;  and  in  com- 
pliment to  him,  this  immense  region  received  the  name 
of  Louisiana,  which  was  subsequently  divided  into 
lower  and  upper ;  the  last,  commonly  and  first  called 
and  better  known  as  "Les  Illinois,"  which  name  is  yet 
retahied  by  the  flourishing  State,  whose  extent  is  but  a 
pvortion  of  the  territory  within  its  original  boundary. 


!   I 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


37 


1  ill,  the 
he  had 
most  of 
3  to  the 
In  Sep- 
e   of  his 
itry,  and 
more  of 
ploration 
the  date 
i^alley  of 
the  year 
cia.     La 
eport  of 
t  conse- 
iristian 
st  bank 
Florida, 
ois,  and 
ovinces 
pn  com- 
e  name 
intu 
called 
is  yet 
but  a. 
Lndary. 


d 


m 


:!>'t: 


Illinois  is  an  Indian  term,  and,  like  most  of  the  ab- 
original appellations,  is  beautifully  expressive,  signifying 
a  man  in  the  flower  of  his  age,  and  doubtlessly  will  be 
considered  as  appropriately  applied  by  all  who  have 
witnessed  the  beauty  of  that  country,  the  fertility  of 
its  soil,  and  the  luxiu-iance  of  its  vegetation. 

La  Salle  having  visited  his  trading  posts,  left  De 
Tonti  commandant  of  Fort  Saint  Louis  and  general 
superintendent  of  all  his  affairs,  and  returned  to  Canada 
for  supphes.  The  governor  of  Canada,  Le  Ferre  de 
la  Barre,  had  misrepresented  him  in  his  despatches  to 
the  king,  and  though  the  Count  de  Frontenac,  at  that 
time  in  Paris,  had  used  all  his  influence  to  counteract 
the  impression  they  were  intended  to  create.  La  Salle 
deemed  it  necessary  to  cross  the  Atlantic  to  confute  all 
accusation  and  explain  his  plans  of  colonization.  He 
arrived  at  the  close  of  the  year  1G83  at  Paris,  and  was 
well  received  by  the  Marquis  de  Seignelay,  the  minister 
and  son  of  Colbert,  the  great  prune  minister  of  the 
Crrand  Monarque.  The  energy  La  Salle  had  evinced, 
and  the  comprehensive  views  he  entertained,  secured 
to  him  and  towards  hi?  schemes  all  suitable  considera- 
tion. He  was  selected  to  put  in  execution  the  design 
of  establishing  a  chain  of  forts  and  posts  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Mississippi  to  Canada.  He  had  proved 
that  he  possessed  tlie  administrative  qualities  that  fitted 
to  command ;  he  was  also  courageous,  confident,  and 


38 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


11    I 


ij 


*'!!wi 


i:i;|i 


self-reliant,  characteristics  which  failed  not  to  beget 
confidence  and  reliance  in  his  fohowers.  This  last 
peculiarity  of  his  temperament  is  alvrays  of  importance 
to  a  leader,  but  has  too  often  been  the  fount  of  great 
disasters  ;  continued  success  frequently  causes  a  neglect 
of  the  suggestions  of  another  qualification,  with  v^hich 
it  should  always  be  accompanied.  The  stirring  events 
of  history  detail  many  examples,  and  the  pursuits  and 
avocations  of  common  life  constantly  present  them ; 
it  was  on  this  ruin  of  myriads,  this  rock  every  where 
so  prominent,  that  the  arderit  and  adventurous  La  Sal"? 
was  most  miserably  wrecked.  Had  he  heeded  the 
whispering  of  prudence  he  had  avoided  the  error  which 
led  to  the  fatal  end  of  the  career  which  seemed  to  be 
entering  the  vista  of  a  gloiious  future.  On  the  24th 
July,  1684,  an  expedition  sailed  from  Rochelle  consist- 
ing of  four  vessels  :  one,  Le  Joli,  a  thirty -six  gun  frigate, 
commanded  by  Monsieur  de  Beaujeau.  There  were 
twenty  families  on  board,  furnished  by  the  government 
with  every  necessary  to  form  a  colony,  artificers  to  erect 
fortifications,  and  soldiers  to  protect  them.  The  evils 
of  a  mixed  command  were  early  apparent  on  the 
voyage.  The  navol  commander  was  arrogant  and  self- 
willed,  and  was  envious  of  the  rising  reputation  of  La 
Salle. 

In  the  West  Indies,  one  of  their  vessels  containing 
their  goods  for  trade  and  mechanics*  tools  was  taken 


I 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


39 


to  beget 
rhis  last 
iportance 
of  great 
a  neglect 
th  v^hich 
ig  events 
suits  and 
t  them; 
ry  where 
La  Sal!^ 
ided  the 
ar  which 
ed  to  be 
he  24th 
consist- 
[  frigate, 
re  were 
irnment 

0  erect 
he  evils 
on  the 
nd  self- 

of  La 

;aining 
taken 


4, 


by  the  Spaniards.  They  remained  there  some  weeks, 
losing  some  men  by  fevers  and  recruiting  others,  of 
whom  a  part  had  been  buccaneers.  Leaving  San 
Domingo  on  the  25th  November  for  the  Mississippi, 
they  arrived  on  the  10th  January  to  where  it  was 
thought  the  proper  longitude  had  been  attained,  and 
it  was  proposed  to  alter  their  course  northwardly  for 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  La  Salle,  adhering  to  his  own 
computation,  which  made  a  different  allowance  for  set 
of  current  than  those  of  others,  persisted  it  should  be 
continued  westwardly.  He  afterwards  admitted  that 
he  might  be  wrong,  and  requested  Beaujeau  to  return : 
he  refused,  and  after  losing  another  vessel  in  a  storm, 
landed  La  Salle  and  his  party  at  a  bay  called  by  the 
French  Saint  Louis,  and  now  known  as  Matagorda,  in 
the  present  State  of  Texas,  seven  degrees  west  of,  and 
by  the  coast  line  some  eight  hundred  miles  distant 
from  the  Mississippi.  He  said  he  had  fulfilled  his  in- 
structions by  landing  them  on  the  shore  of  the  gulf, 
and  sailed  in  the  Joli,  leaving  La  Salle  to  find  the  river 
Hs  he  could.  La  Salle  took  formal  possession  of  the 
v!ountry,  hence  it  was  always  considered  by  the  French 
us  part  of  Louisiana  and  included  in  the  territory  under 
JefFjrson's  treaty.  In  Mr.  Monroe's  administration  the 
Sabiuc  was  assigned  as  the  boundary ;  but  the  people 
of  the  great  valley  were  never  satisfied  until  Texas  was 
reannexed.     Having  built  a  fort  for  the  security  of  the 


40 


LIFE    OF    DB.    LINN. 


;:! 


p :  i' 


kH^ 


ill 


(  ^     I 


i''i 


colonists,  he  penetrated  the  country  in  various  direc- 
tions, during  his  absence  on  one  of  which  his  last  re- 
maining vessel  was  lost,  and  his  movements  by  water 
were  closed.  In  March,  1 687,  being  near  the  head  waters 
of  the  Trinity  River,  he  received  a  lamentable  death 
from  the  hands  of  some  of  his  own  followers,  who  con- 
sidered him  the  sole  cause  of  all  their  calamities.  He 
may  have  been  truly  so;  but  his  horrible  assassination 
may  be  marked  as  one  of  the  numerous  instances  of  the 
blindne.i  oassion,  for  it  must  be  admitted  that  he 
was  the  iK  ^^,  fitted,  by  his  previous  experience,  to 
rescue  this  party  of  newly  arrived  Europeans,  lost  in 
the  wilds  of  America,  from  the  perils  of  their  situation. 
His  murderers,  quarrelling  soon  after,  killed  each  other. 
Some  of  this  last  party  of  La  Salle  resumed  to  their 
companions  at  the  Bay  of  Saint  Louis,  others  remained 
with  the  Indians  and  assisted  them  in  their  war  against 
the  Spaniards.  Seven  determined  to  go  to  the  Illinois, 
among  whom  were  the  brother  and  nephew  of  La  Salle, 
Father  Anastatius,  and  Monsieur  Joutel,  who,  upon  his 
arrival  in  France,  published  a  narrative  of  their  last 
voyage  and  wanderings  through  the  wilds  of  Texas. 
They,  with  the  loss  of  one  of  their  number,  arrived  at 
Fort  Saint  Louis  in  September.  For  prudential  reasons 
the  fate  of  La  Salle  was  kept  secret  for  a  time,  both  in 
Canada  and  France.  The  mouth  of  the  river  was  found 
by  Iberville  in  1699.     Shortly  after  the  discovery  of 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


41 


the  Mississippi  became  known  in  Canada,  La  Salle's 
foil'  ^vers,  who  continued  at  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia, 
were  joined  by  parties  of  their  friends  from  thence  and 
from  France  ;  every  year  added  to  their  number :  their 
trail  through  the  wilderness  was  distinct ;  along  which 
the  adventurous  voyageurs  first  established  their  trading 
posts,  and  the  Canadian  government  soon  sent  soldiers 
for  their  security:  various  forts  were  erected  at  the 
most  commanding  points,  and  hamlets  and  villages 
indicated  the  current  of  civilization. 

The  last  fort  on  the  line  from  Canada  to  the  Missis- 
sippi was  Fort  Chartres ;  placed  about  a  mile  from  the 
river,  and  built  with  all  the  attention  requisite  to  the 
construction  of  a  regularly  fortified  place  of  importance, 
and  furnished  with  every  convenience  for  the  officers 
and  garrison  as  well  as  magazines  for  munitions  and 
stores ;  there  was  also  within  it  swalls  an  entrance  to  a 
subterranean  communication  with  the  river.  The 
French  have  always  been  remarkable  for  the  care  they 
bestowed  in  the  construction  of  the  fortifications  in 
their  colonies ;  the  cost  of  this,  which  was  built  in 
1720,  has  been  stated  to  have  been  equal  to  eleven 
millions  of  francs;  that  at  Louisbourg  (considered 
the  Dunkirk  of  America),  which  was  taken  by  the 
Provincials  under  Colonel  Pepperell  and  the  English 
squadron  under  Commodore  Warren  in  the  year  1745, 
employed  the  French  troops  twenty-five  years  in  its 


1 


...li 


:  f'H 


mm 


ill 


hi'  I'.' 


(: 
I'll 


^11^ 


42 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


construction,  and  involved  an  outlay  of  thirty  millions 
of  livres. 

The  protection  aflPorded  by  the  erection  of  Port 
Chartres  was  a  great  attracting  cause  of  the  several 
little  towns  and  villages  in  its  vicinity.  St.  Genevieve 
was  one  of  the  first  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
that  availed  itself  of  the  advantages  it  secured.  The 
early  settlers  there  could  always  be  certain  of  the  means 
of  regular  communication  with  their  European  friends, 
receive  clerical  ministration,  and  obtain  medical  assist- 
ance and  such  needful  stores  as  their  situation  required. 

Considering  the  spare  accommodation,  the  great 
inconvenience  and  danger  attending  a  sea  voyage  at 
that  period,  and  the  no  less  deterring  difficulties  then 
consequent  to  the  long  land  travel;  it  is  surprising 
such  thriving  industrious  communities  of  civilized 
Europeans  should  at  that  early  day  be  placed  on  this 
distant  and  secluded  frontier.  The  emigration  here 
was  of  a  very  superior  character ;  mostly  agriculturists 
from  the  vicinage  of  the  city  of  Paris.  They  had 
heard  of  the  surpassing  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  were 
aware  of  the  facilities  with  which  it  could  be  obtained 
under  an  easy  soccage  tenure,  and  did  not  remain  in 
Canada  like  their  brethren  from  the  maritime  parts  of 
western  France,  whose  trading  and  commercial  instincts 
and  propensities  stayed  them  on  the  borders  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  in   facile   communication  with  the  ocean. 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


43 


y  millions 

i  of  Fort 
le  several 
lenevieve 
ississippi 
3d.     The 
lie  means 
1  friends, 
al  assist- 
required. 
lie  great 
oyage  at 
ies  then 
rprising 
civilized 

on  this 
~m  litre 
ilturists 
ey  had 

d  were 

)tained 

ain  in 

arts  of 

stincts 

:he  St. 

ocean. 


Early  in  the  eighteer^h  century  emigration  received  a 
great  impulse  from  tl  le  stimulating  excitement  produced 
by  one  of  those  epidemics  of  enthusiastic  delusion, 
which  occasionally  occur  in  the  progress  of  time,  some- 
thing of  which  has  been  witnessed  in  our  day.  The 
"Mississippi  scheme,"  one  of  the  several  gigantic  plans 
of  the  confident  visionary  Law,  which  were  to  have 
enabled  France  and  the  French  people  to  become  the 
recipients  of  the  wealth  of  the  world,  certainly  was 
advantageous  to  the  Illinois,  however  different  it  may 
have  been  to  the  great  majority  of  the  duped  victims 
who  held  shares  when  the  great  bubble  collapsed. 
Were  it  possible  that  any  company  could  now  obtain 
and  exercise  the  privileges  and  monopolies  Law 
possessed,  it  might  be  said  of  him  as  has  been  said  of 
other  projectors,  that  he  only  Uved  a  century  too  soon. 
The  settlers  on  the  Illinois  never  had  occasion  to  draw 
from  distant  points  the  articles  of  first  necessity. 
These,  from  the  first,  their  industry  obtained  from  the 
teeming  soil  on  which  they  had  transplanted  themselyes, 
not  only  enough  for  themselves,  but  sufficient  and  to 
spare  for  all  new  comers.  Not  long  after  the  establish- 
ment of  New  Orleans,  during  the  war  of  1744,  these 
settlements,  responsive  to  a  demand  from  thence,  in  a 
short  time  fumirhed  four  or  five  thousand  barrels  of 
corn,  flour,  and  other  provision.  Kaskaskia,  the  pi- 
oneer of  the  Illinois  villages,  for  a  long  time  maintained 


44 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


its  supremacy;  in  1721  there  were  100  houses  and  a 
convent ;  and  in  its  vicinage  reductions  of  red  men, 
the  neophytes  and  catechumens  of  their  beloved  "  long 
robes."  It  was  afterwards  of  greater  importance,  but 
declined  from  various  controlling  causes,  and  it  may 
be  considered  to  have  been  almost  totally  destroyed  by 
the  great  flood  of  1844. 

In  1762  D'Abadie  the  Governor-general  of  Louis- 
iana granted  to  Pierre  Ligueste  Lacede  and  his  associ- 
ates, under  the  name  of  the  "  Louisiana  Fur  Company," 
the  privilege  of  trading  with  the  Indians  on  the  Mis- 
souri and  west  of  the  Mississippi :  the  succeeding  year 
he  ascended  the  river  to  the  Illinois  with  several  com- 
panions, among  the  youngest  of  whom  were  the  brothers 
Pierre  and  Auguste  Chouteau,  whose  names  have  been 
identified  with  the  growth  and  prosperity,  not  only  of 
the  great  city  Lacede  founded,  but  of  the  noble  and 
then  unknown  territory  over  the  western  plains.  Every 
point  considered  as  eligible  was  personally  visited  and 
carefully  examined  with  a  view  to  select  one  as  most 
suitable  for  his  purpose  for  a  depot,  not  omitting  St. 
Genevieve,  which  for  many  years  had  been  of  impor- 
tance as  the  centring  position  of  the  fur,  peltry,  and 
lead  trade  of  the  region  :  he  preferred  an  entirely  new 
and  unoccupied  place,  of  which  he  took  formal  posses- 
sion, as  his  intended  principal  trading  post,  on  the 
fifteenth  day  of  Pebruary,  1764 ;  and  that  which  is 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


45 


now  the  great  inland  mart  of  the  great  valley,  on  that 
day  received  from  Lacede  the  name  of  the  courageous 
soldier,  wise  king,  and  humble  Christian,  Saint  Louis. 
At  this  period  there  occurred  a  political  event  of  the 
first  importance  to  "  the  Illinois :"  The  Treaty  of  Paris, 
under  which  Great  Britain  received  from  the  French 
all  their  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  New  Orleans;  which  city,  with  all  their 
domain  west  of  that  river  was  ceded  to  Spain.  Those 
of  the  inhabitants  who  were  by  the  treaty  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  t);e  English  government,  evinced  great 
repugnance  to  dwell  under  the  drapeau  of  the  arrogant 
islanders;  they  crossed  the  river  in  great  numbers, 
joining  theii  relatives  on  the  western  bank,  filling  and 
extending  their  towns  and  villages,  and  forming  new 
communities.  The  present  villages  of  Carondelet  and 
Jblorisant  are  of  those  thus  founded.  They  did  more ; 
with  their  western  brethren  they  set  up  a  government 
of  their  own,  the  spontaneous  act  of  all,  and  St.  Ange 
De  Bellenve  was  the  first  governor  in  America  bievated 
by  the  living  voice  of  the  people,  under  no  commission 
or  charter  from  any  foreign  king  or  government,  and 
without  aid  or  hindrance  from  any  previously  contrived 
machinery.  He  had  been  the  commandant  of  the 
French  at  Fort  Chartres ;  he  crossed  the  river  in  1765  ; 
whereupon  he  was  invested  with  civ^il  and  military 
command  over  the  *  Upper  Louisiana,"  and  thit  power 


46 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


he  most  beneficently  exercised  and  held  with  a  firm 
and  able  hand,  though  legally  he  had  no  right  to  its 
sway,  save  the  acclaim  of  the  people.  He  was  "  every 
inch  a  governor,"  and  no  act  of  his,  Avill  ever  militate 
against  the  advocates  of  popular  sovereignty.  His 
name  is  in  benediction ;  his  very  name, — if  one  who  has 
scarce  a  pretension  to  the  most  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  elegant  language  in  which  it  is  written  can  be 
permitted  to  say, — •"  Saint  Ange  De  Bellerive,"  may 
be  rendered  as  having  been,  the  Blessed  Angel  of  the 
beautiful  water-side.  He,  supported  by  the  unanimous 
voice  of  his  constituents,  did  and  performed  every  act 
and  deed  deemed  necessary  or  proper  for  the  common 
weal  of  all,  without  fear,  favor,  or  afffection.  His 
numerous  grants  of  land,  to  their  honor  be  it  spoken, 
were  afterwards  confirmed  by  the  Spaniards,  and  again 
reconfirmed  by  the  United  States  commissioners,  not- 
withstanding the  efforts  of  the  speculating  land-sharks 
who  sought  to  oppugn  their  validity.  In  1768  a  body 
of  Spanish  troops  under  Rious  arrived  at  St.  Louis  with 
the  claim  of  possession  for  his  Catholic  Majesty;  it 
was  peacefully  admitted,  but  the  authority  of  St.  Ange 
continued  with  undiminished  force  until  1770.  Mr. 
Chambers  of  the  Missouri  Republican,  in  his  valuable 
Annual  Review  (1854),  adverting  hereto,  says  :  "  This 
anomaly  may  be  explained  by  the  condition  of  political 
afl'irs  in  New  Orleans,  it  not  being  till  1769,  after 


LIFE   OF   DR.  LINN. 


47 


serious  collisions,  that  under  O'Reilly,  the  representative 
of  the  King  of  Spain,  the  transfer  so  unpalatable  to 
the  French  was  finally  acquiesced  in  at  the  capital  of 
the  country."  Pedro  Piemas  was  the  first  lawful 
governor  of  Upper  Louisiana ;  he  took  possession 
towards  the  end  of  1770  ;  the  Spanish  rule  continued 
through  Cruzat,  De  Leyba,  Perex,  Trudeau,  and  ended 
with  Delassus  in  1804.  By  the  treaty  of  San  IldefQnso 
in  1800,  France  again  became  possessed  of  the  vast 
territory  of  Louisiana ;  and  the  sagacious  Jefferson,  by 
the  treaty  of  30th  of  April,  1803,  added  this  empire  to 
the  domain  of  our  Republic,  at  the  insignificant  cost 
of  fifteen  millions  of  dollars.  Scarcely  any  act  of  our 
government  has  been  fraught  with  greater  beneficial 
results,  both  immediate  and  prospective ;  or  met  (in 
some  sections  of  our  country  then  influential)  a  more 
malign  reception ;  the  bitterest  denunciators,  the  most 
active  stirrers  of  strife  were  they,  who  claimed  to  be 
followers  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  political  parsons 
then,  as  from  the  beginning,  and  now,  the  pests  of  the 
society  that  support  them ;  they  hesitated  not  to  an- 
nounce and  denounce  from  their  "  sacred  desks  "  the 
chief  executive  of  their  country  as  a  pei;jured  tributary 
of  Antichrist — the  man  of  sin — conveniently  transferring 
for  the  time,  their  habitual  appellation  of  the  Pope,  to 
the  ruler  of  the  French,  and  knowing,  and  caring  not 
to  know,  that  the  spuitual  supremacy  of  the  Bishop  of 


48 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


Rome  being  not  of  the  kingdoms  of  this  worhl,  was  as 
effective  in  the  depths  of  a  French  dungeon,  as  from 
the  hills  of  his  eternal  city.  Under  Jefferson's  treaty 
and  a  consequent  act  of  Congress,  Captain  Amos 
Stoddard,  on  the  10th  March  1804,  as  agent  for  the 
United  States,  received  from  Don  Carlos  Dehault 
Delassus,  the  Spanish  Lieutenant-govenior,  the  posses- 
sion of  Upper  Louisiana,  the  keys  of  the  government 
house,  the  public  archives  and  property :  the  flag  of 
Spain  descended,  and  the  ensign  of  our  Union,  amid 
salvos  of  artillery,  waved  free  in  the  breeze  over  the 
icestern  bank  of  the  great  river.  At  this  period  the 
inhabitants  of  the  territory  were  nearly  all  of  French 
hneage  (there  being  then  but  two  Angio-Americar 
families  in  St.  Louis) ;  they,  having  again  been,  Avithoi 
any  voice  of  their  own,  transferred  as  subjects  to 
another  system  of  government,  were  not  without  the 
natural  feeling  of  apprehension  which  such  a  change 
must  ever  produce ;  but  the  conduct  of  the  United 
States  agents,  and  the  character  of  the  fast-coming  new 
emigrants  soon  dissipated  their  anxiety.  The  first 
families  arriving  among  them  from  the  States  were  not 
the  Bostonians  of  their  tradition,  being  from  Virginia, 
Maryland  and  Kentucky ;  whose  social,  frank  and  open 
manners  most  nearly  resembled  their  own,  so  different 
from  the  arrogant  English  of  the  Canadas,  and  others 
with  whom  some  among  them  had  the  mipleasant  ex- 


|ii  I 


LIFK    OF    DR.    LINN. 


49 


pcricncc  of  pv(n'ioiis  intercourse  :  tlioy  rendered  ii  cheer- 
ful fealty  to  tlint  government  whose  institutions,  in 
accordance  to  the  h'gend  of  its  national  enibla/oinnent, 
are  so  ha|)[)ily  constituted  to  absorb  and  blend  into  one 
homogeneous  people  the  varieties  of  ditferent  nations. 
Should  any  one  l)e  disposed  to  doubt  this,  let  thcni,  or 
any  one  of  them,  point  to  their  exemplar  of  a  com- 
munity of  more  law-observing  and  law-abiding  citizens 
than  can  be  found  among  the  old  French  villages  within 
the  bounds  of  the  State  of  Missouri. 

All  Louisiana  north  of  the  thirty-third  parallel  was 
designated  by  Congress  in  1804  as  tlie  District  of 
Louisiana,  and  the  executive  })ower  of  the  Territory 
of  Indiana  was  extended  over  the  new  District,  and 
accordingly  was  first  exercised  by  Gen.  William  Henry 
Harrison,  then  governor.  The  folloAviug  year  the  Dis- 
trict was  changed  to  the  Territory  of  Louisiana.  James 
Wilkinson  became  its  governor,  and  with  Return  J. 
Meigs  and  J.  B.  C.  Lucas,  the  judges  of  the  Su})erior 
Court,  were  the  Legislature  of  the  Territory ;  this 
system,  with  occasional  change  of  person,  renuiined  for 
some  time.  Li  1812  it  took  the  iiame  of  the  Missouri 
Territory ;  there  was  a  Governor  and  a  Legislative 
Assembly,  the  upper  branch  consisting  of  nine  coun- 
cillors, selected  by  the  governor  from  double  that 
number,  nominated  to  him  by  the  lower  branch,  and 
was  represented  in  Congress  by  a  delegate.     The  first 


% 


50 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN 


flits 


:ii!jl- 
,!!i! 


Ill'r 


I    : 


governor  of  the  Missouri  Territory  was  Merriwetlier 
Lewis,  and  Edward  Hempstead  the  delegate. 

By  the  act  of  the  6th  March,  1820,  the  terms  of 
whicli  being  accepted  by  the  representatives  of  the 
people  in  convention  held  at  St.  Louis  on  the  19th 
of  the  following  July,  Missouri  was  admitted  as  one  of 
the  sovereign  States  of  this  IJnion.  The  first  Legisla- 
tui'^  met  at  St.  Louis  in  1820  ;  the  seat  of  government 
\/as  transferred  to  St.  Charles,  and  remained  there 
until  its  removal  to  the  Citv  of  Jefferson,  in  1826. 
Alexander  McNair  was  the  first  governor  of  the  State 
of  Missouri. 

From  the  fi"st  settlement  of  the  French  in  "  Les 
Illinois,"  to  the  pcriou  when  their  descendants  became 
citizens  of  the  dift'ercnt  Republican  States  among  which 
their  great  territory  has  been  divided,  there  were  but 
few  incidents  arising  immediately  among  them  of 
sj)e.nd  notice.  They  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  their 
})eaccful  way  ;  instructed  their  children  in  the  precepts 
of  thch"  religion,  and  by  their  example  of  the  practice 
of  tlieiu  secm'cd  the  continuance  of  their  living  faith ; 
they  mostly  cultivated  the  ground  of  their  common 
fields  contiguous  to  tlieir  villages ;  their  traders  traf- 
ficked with  the  Indians,  aiul  procured  for  them  from 
Canada  and  New  Orleans  th"  textile  fabrics  and  such 
other  articles  of  Eiu'opean  manufactiu"e  as  they  desired : 
they  had  not  much  money  among  them,  they  needed 


ill 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


51 


erriwether 

!  terms  of 

es  of  the 

the  19th 

as  one  of 

it  Legisla- 

)vernment 

lied  there 

in  1826. 

tlie  State 


in 


Les 


s  became 

>ng  which 

were  but 

them  of 

of  their 

precepts 

practice 

■»g  faith ; 

common 

Icrs  traf- 

|em  from 

md  such 

Idesired : 

needed 


■-1 


but  Kttle;  almost  all  the  transactions  of  a  business 
character  were  effected  through  the  medium  of  "  peltry- 
bons,"  and  the  bills  payable  in  this  pecunia,  so  nearly 
allied  to  the  primitive  origin  of  the  word,  were  every 
where  current,  and  were  far  better  and  more  substan- 
tially based,  than  the  greater  portion  of  the  pretty 
promises  to  pay,  now  so  prevalent  with  all  their  incon- 
gruous superadvenienccs  of  mythological  device,  medal- 
lion heroes  and  statesmen,  beautiful  belles  and  ugly 
usurers.  It  has  always  been  noted  as  worthy  of 
remark,  that  the  Indians  better  preserved  the  terms  of 
amity  with  the  French,  than  with  any  other  European 
nation.  With  them  they  seldom  had  trouble ;  when 
it  did  arise,  it  was  usually  traceable  to  English  incite- 
ment. Thus,  the  death  of  the  famous  Pontiac  in 
1709 ;  who,  being  on  a  visit  to  St.  Ange  at  St.  Louis, 
accepted  an  invitation  to  an  Indian  feast  near  Cahokia,. 
during  Avhich  he  was  killed  by  a  Kaskaskia  Indian, 
instigated  by  a  British  trader.  His  body  was  taken  to 
his  Erench  friends  in  St.  Louis,  and  there  by  them 
honorably  buried.  The  French  were  imsuccessful  in 
their  endeavor  to  avert  the  consequences  of  this  murder 
from  their  neighbors ;  for  the  Ottawas,  i;^  n^venge  for 
the  loss  of  their  chief,  nearly  exterminated  the  Illinois 
nation.  Again,  in  1779,  during  our  war  of  Independ- 
ence, wlien  France  was  our  valued  ally,  ruimers 
brought   intelligence  that   the   British   meditated  an 


■I 


1  i' 


52 


LIFE   or   DR.    LINN. 


assault  upon  St.  Louis.  Heed  was  given  to  the  infor- 
mation, and  such  additions  made  to  their  defence  as 
was  in  their  power.  In  May  of  the  following  year, 
fourteen  hundred  well  armed  savages  and  one  hundred 
and  forty  British  regulars  arrived  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  and  lay  in  ambush  unknown  to  the  St. 
Louians  ;  on  the  20th  of  that  month  they  crossed,  and 
killing  some  fifteen  or  twenty  whom  they  found  in  the 
common  field  outside  of  the  stockade,  they  advanced 
upon  the  village ;  but  though  taken  by  surprise,  the 
French  rushed  to  their  barriers  and  met  the  foe  with 
such  a  manful  and  determined  resistance,  that  all  his 
efforts  to  carry  them  were  ineffective ;  and  after  ex- 
periencing great  loss,  the  allied  savages  retreated  towards 
Lake  Michigan,  as  stealthily  as  they  came.  This  first 
attenn)t  to  pass  a  ligature  around  the  great  jutery  of 
the  West  was  as  unsucccssfid  as  the  later  trial  at  New 
Orleans.  Mr.  Chambers  states,  "  Tiie  particulars  of 
this  defence  reflect  very  great  credit  on  the  villagers. 
They  munbered  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  males 
fit  for  service.  At  the  commencement  of  the  attack, 
the  Spanish  troops,  whose  proper  bushiess  it  was  to 
lead  in  the  di'fence,  ran  off  and  secreted  themselves  in 
a  garret.  Lcnba,  the  Lieutenant-governor,  acted  in  a 
manner  to  show  that  he  had  been  in  traitorous  com- 
munication with  the  enemy." 

AMiile  the  undaunted  villagers  were  pouring  grape 


■   ii 


!     i 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


53 


3  the  infor- 

(lefence  as 

kving  year, 

le  Imndred 

iposite  side 

to  the  St, 

rossed,  and 

iind  in  the 

f  advanced 

u'prise,  the 

e  foe  with 

;hat  all  his 

I  after  ex- 

fdd  towards 

This  first 

artery  of 

al  at  New 

iculars  of 

villagers. 

[ifty  males 

le  attack, 

was  to 

st'lves  in 

ted  in  a 

'ous  coni- 


njr 


grape 


from  the  cannon's  month  on  the  host  of  assailants, 
Leyba  made  his  appearance  'trundled  on  a  wheel- 
barrow,' and  ordered  the  gvnis  to  be  spiked.  Before 
tl'is,  he  had  discouraged  all  rumors  of  the  approaching 
invasion,  imprisoning  those  who  set  them  afloat,  and 
had  sold  all  the  powder  in  the  place,  on  which  he  coidd 
lay  his  hands.  An  account  of  his  procedure  was 
transmitted  to  Galvez,  then  Governor  of  Louisiana, 
who  inmiediately  superseded  him.  After  all  fair  de- 
ductions, (enough  remains  to  show  that  Leyba  was 
unworthy  of  the  trust  coniided  to  him,  and  that  the 
(•efonders  of  St.  Louis  deserve  to  be  held  in  honorable 
remembraiic'^  for  their  bravery."  It  was  an  epoch 
whence  other  occurring  miitters  in  these  peaceful  com- 
munities were  dated,  as  afterwards  this  year  1780  was 
gcnei'ally  spoken  of  as  " Vannce  dii  grand  coup" 
There  were  some  other  periods  during  the  contiiuiance 
of  Ihe  Spanish  rule  considered  suffic  m'v  out  of  the 
course  of  ordinary  events  as  to  obtain  a  general  de- 
finitive ;  as  \l%o,''L'an>i(k'  des  grandes  eaiix,'  from 
an  unprecedented  rise  of  the  river,  and  since  only 
equalled  by  the  devastating  floods  of  1844  and  '52. 
1788,  "  L\inr('c  des  dix  bafcaiLv,"  from  the  arrival  at 
one  time  of  a  fleet  of  ten  barges,  avIio  had  associated 
for  mutual  protection  agahist  the  river-pirates  on  their 
voyage  from  New  Orleans.  1 798,  the  arrival  of  galleys 
with  Spanish  troops  as  ''Vanme  des  galeres."     1799, 


11 


:  I 


54 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


the  thermometer  indicating  32°  below  zero,  was 
"L'atuwe  da  (jrand  Jiiver."  1801,  the  remembered 
scourge  of  the  small-pox,  "  L'anncc  dela  Picotte" 

St.  Louis,  though  among  the  younger,  has  far  out- 
stripped and  outgrown  her  sister  villages  in  the  matters 
of  more  material  progress,  but  not  in  the  sense  of 
Pharaoh's  dream  as  inteipreted  by  the  young  Hebrew 
captive  (no,  not  captive — Joseph  was  the  captive  of  his 
brethren,  but  was  the  bargained,  and  sold,  and  money- 
purchased  bondman  of  the  Midianite  merchant ;  and 
of  Potiphar,  the  chamberlain  of  Pharaoh) ;  some  of  them 
are  yet  flourishing  "  on  the  very  bank  of  the  river  in 
green  places."  Of  these  St.  Genevieve  is  not  the  least 
attractive ;  originally  built  upon  the  site  of  one  long 
occupied  by  the  Peoria  Indians,  and  possessing  all  the 
advantages  usually  sought  for  in  those  days  of  primitive 
habits  and  moderate  desires.  The  first  buildhigs  were 
erected  close  to  the  water-side,  but  in  the  memorable 
L'annee  des  grandes  eaux  Avere  swept  away  by  the  great 
Pather  of  Waters,  leaving  the  vestiges  of  that  destruc- 
tive inundation  visible  as  late  as  1832.  Warned  by 
this  bitter  experience,  the  inhabitjmts  rebuilt  their 
dwellings  and  business  houses  on  a  more  elevated  and 
pleasant  situation :  above  their  new  town  are  several 
springs  of  extraordinary  volume  of  water,  the  tavored 
encamping  ground  of  their  long  lingering  red  friends. 
The  Prench  and  Spanish  emigrants,  the  earliest  pioneers 


LIFE   OF   Dll.    LINN. 


55 


zero,   was 
'eiuembered 
'cotter 
lias  far  out- 
tlie  matters 
le  sense  of 
ig  Hebrew 
ptive  of  his 
iiid  iiioney- 
^liant ;  and 
me  of  them 
he  river  in 
3t  the  least 
\  one  long 
ing  all  the 
f  primitive 
lings  were 
neniorable 
'  the  great 
dcstruc- 
irned  by 
ilt   their 
ited  and 
e  several 
favored 
friends, 
pioneers 


in  the  exploration  and  settlement  of  our  western  wil- 
derness, congregated  in  villages  for  greater  secarity, 
and  in  accordance  with  their  social  instincts,  as  fsir  as 
they  conld,  they  made  their  American  homes  to  re- 
semble those  they  had  left  in  their  father-lands.  Unlike 
the  Anglo-American,  who,  armed  with  axe  and  rifle, 
plunges  into  the  primeval  forest  fearless  and  alone, 
b'lilding  himself  a  little  cabin  and  clearing  a  patch  for 
the  cultiva!'"n  of  the  indispensable  "  soothing  weed," 
is  content  to  lead  the  life  of  a  solitaire,  until  the  tide 
of  civilization  invades  his  seclusion,  and  settles  che 
waste  places  around  him, — the  natives  of  soutliern 
Europe,  no  less  brave  and  adventurous,  adhere  to  their 
innate  and  irradicable  love  of  companionship,  and  with 
a  facility  of  adaptation  to  new  modes  of  life  peculiar  to 
themselves,  cultivate  every  where  the  tastes,  the  habits, 
and  social  qualities,  that  distinguish  them  from  all  other 
people.  It  is  owing  to  these  characteristics,  that  the 
French  especially  have  exhibited  such  a  remarkable 
aptitude  in  contentedly  and  peacefully  dwelling  .near 
and  among  our  aboriginal  tribes,  and  securing  their 
faithfid  attachment,  confidence,  and  affectionate  esteem. 
They  resided  hi  villages  and  ciJtivated  the  earth,  and 
pastured  their  cattle  in  common  enclosures,  the  conmion 
property  of  all.  These  fields  were  divided  into  separate 
allotments,  in  which  each  proprietor  planted  and  tended 
such  products  as  he  preferred;  but  if  there  was  any 


56 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


difference  of  ownership  or  taste  in  the  growth  and 
culture  of  contiguous  i)lants,  when  the  harvest  was 
gathered,  it  was  freely  offered  to  the  enjoyment  of  all. 
Thus  they  peacefully  and  hap[)ily  lived  luitil  some  time 
after  the  appearance  of  the  wonder  which  has  contri- 
buted so  much  to  the  improvement  of  the  West. 

In  1817  the  General  Pike,  a  Louisville  low-pressure 
steamboat,  first  startled  the  quiet  waters  of  the  Upper 
Mississippi,  reaching  St.  Louis  on  the  second  day  of 
August  in  that  year,  luider  the  command  of  Captain 
Jacob  Reed.  Two  years  afterwards,  the  Independence, 
Captain  Nelson,  ascended  the  Missouri,  demonstrating 
that  even  the  cm'rent  of  that  more  turbulent  stream 
could  be  overcome  by  the  new  giant  motor.  This 
many  of  the  old  A'oyageurs  and  others  had  doubted, 
but  they  now  saw  that  the  days  of  the  slow-progressing 
keel-boat  (Uid  barge  were  about  to  pass,  and  with  them 
the  occupation  of  their  previous  life.  Nothing  has  con- 
tributed so  nuich  to  effect  the  surprising  change  notice- 
able within  the  last  thirty  years,  as  the  introduction  of 
the  bateau-a-vapeur,  not  only  over  the  face  of  the 
country,  but  in  the  manners,  pursuits  and  occupations 
of  the  whole  western  people.  For  a  time,  the  villagers, 
wedded  to  their  old  customs,  Avere  content  with  the 
slow  and  toilsome  progress  of  their  keel-boat  and  barge. 
To  tiie  successful  prosecution  of  voyages  in  such  craft, 
the  services  of  the  patient,  abstemious,  and  light-hearted 


I    I 


LIFE   OP   DR.   LINN. 


57 


)wtli  and 
•vest  was 
!nt  of  all. 
omc  time 
IS  coiitri- 

3St. 

-pressure 

le  Upper 

I  day  of 

Captain 

endence, 

iistrating 

t  stream 

r.     This 

loubted, 

pressing 

til  tliem 

las  con- 

iiotice- 

tion  of 

of  the 

nations 

lagers, 

litli  the 

I  barge. 

craft, 

learted 


voyageurs  were,  until  their  business  was  broken  up  by 
the  general  use  of  steam,  deemed  al)solutely  indispen- 
sable. They  were  so  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
great  rivers  of  the  West,  knowing  every  highland  and 
jutting  promontory,  every  rock,  sunken  tree,  and  shift- 
ing sand-bar,  and  every  cleft  and  cavern  on  their 
shores.  No  danger  appalled  or  difficulty  disheartened 
them.  Always  cheerful  and  alert,  they  lightened  their 
labor  at  the  oar,  and  enlivened  the  long  dreary  nights 
by  song  and  dance,  and  traditional  tales  of  love,  or  war 
or  daring  adventure,  giving  a  romantic  or  historical 
interest  to  the  Avild  and  comparatively  tenantJess  scenes 
along  which  they  passed.  But  the  keel-^:  jut,  the  barge, 
and  the  lithe,  athletic  and  joyous  voyageurs,  nuiy  be 
said  to  have  disappeared,  and  with  them  the  limited 
desires  .and  few  and  simple  wants,  which  for  a  long 
series  of  years   they  so  abundantly  supplied. 

In  1817  St.  Genevieve  contained  a  goodly  number 
of  American  families,  and  a  nmcli  greater  proportion 
of  French ;  many  of  whom  were  descended  from  the 
best  blood  of  France,  and  retained,  in  a  remarkable 
degree,  the  refinement,  the  courtesy,  and  the  ardent 
temperament  which  so  pre-eminently  distinguished 
their  countrymen  of  the  last  centiu-y.  To  their  heredi- 
tary gayety  and  inborn  politeness,  their  close  and  fre- 
(juent  intercourse  of  late  years  with  their  American 
neighbors,  have  imparted  not  a  little  of  the  solidity  and 


■i!:li 


58 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


progressive  energy  wliicli  characterize  the  latter.  Their 
manners  and  conversation,  always  sprightly  and  agree- 
able, rendered  their  society  at  home  or  abroad,  miiver- 
sally  and  at  all  seasons,  most  attractive  and  acceptable. 
Those  parents  Avho  possessed  the  time  and  means,  gave 
to  their  children  the  best  education  the  circnmstances 
of  jjlace  and  period  permitted ;  all,  howevei-,  received 
moral  and  religious  instruction  from  the  faithful  pastor 
of  the  church,  and  accpiired,  from  the  constant  associa- 
tion of  (.'very  class,  an  amenity  of  deportment  more 
captivating  than  any  learning  without  it, — a  deference 
for  the  feelings  and  wishes  of  others,  which  never  failed 
to  secure  it  for  themselves.  No  matter  how  poor  or 
how  ignorant  they  at  first  to  some  appeared  to  be,  they 
were  rich  and  instructed,  possessing  a  grace  so  winning, 
an  address  so  fascinatuig,  a  bearing  so  manly,  that  it 
levelled  all  distinctions  of  birth  and  ducation,  and  not 
to  admire  and  respect  them  was  an  impossibility. 
The  men  of  this  interesting  society  were  proverbial  for 
their  probity,  for  their  gentleness  and  devotion  as 
husbands,  fathers  and  friends,  Avhile  the  women  were  no 
less  remarkable  for  their  warm  and  ingenuous  affections, 
their  purity  and  scrupulous  neatness,  their  untiring  at- 
tention to  their  household  duties,  and  for  all  the  little 
nameless  offices  of  kindness,  whose  ministrations  enter 
so  largely  into  the  siun  of  domestic  felicity.  Their 
many  attractive  little  fetes  and  obsei^ances  cannot  fail 


# 


LIFE    OF   DU.    LINN. 


69 


ter.     Tlieir 
and  agree- 
ad,  imiver- 
acceptable. 
leans,  gave 
nnnstances 
!]•,  received 
!iful  pastor 
nt  associa- 
lent  more 
deference 
ever  failed 
w  poor  or 
0  be,  they 
winning, 
Y,  that  it 
and  not 
5ssibility. 
rbial  for 
otion   as 
were  no 
Sections, 
n-nig  at- 
he  little 
IS  enter 
Their 
not  fail 


to  make  a  favorable  impression  on  a  stranger.  One,  a 
custom  connnon  to  all  classes,  so  touching  and  beau- 
tiful, so  instinct  with  gracious  sentiment  and  geiAuine 
refinement,  that  the  portraitiu-e  of  excellent  friends 
would  be  wanting  in  its  crowning  grace,  and  perhaps 
most  characteristic  trait,  if  it  were  omitted.  The  oldest 
male  member  of  each  family  is  looked  up  to  by  all  who 
compose  it,  as  its  patriarch  and  head;  and  on  the 
morning  of  every  new  year  all  its  branches,  young  and 
old,  gather  around  him,  and  each  one  kneeling  in  turn 
begs  his  blessing  for  the  coming  year.  The  venerable 
sire  first  extends  his  arms  over  them  and  says,  in  an 
aftectingly  solemn  and  affectionate  voice,  "  My  children, 
is  there  peace  between  you  all  ?  "  If  answered  affirm- 
atively, as  it  always  is,  he,  placing  his  hand  on  the  head 
of  each,  gives  the  much-valued  blessing  ;  this  exquisite 
usage  has  the  hapi)iest  effect  in  preventing  and  healing 
family  feuds;  for,  if  difficulties  occiu",  all  are  interested 
in  tlieir  disappearance,  they  must  be  reconciled  before 
the  year  expires,  else  the  erring  parties  woidd  be  de- 
prived of  the  annual  benediction  so  piously  and  so 
hopefully  looked  forward  to  by  all,  and  the  withholding 
of  Avhich  is  considered  not  merely  a  stigma,  but  one  of 
the  heaviest  calamities  that  could  beM  them.  Can 
the  vapid  morning  receptions,  or  the  glittering  soirees 
of  our  eastern  cities  welcome  the  incoming  of  the  new 
year  with  a  more  attractive  beauty,  or  confer  more  en- 


•  I 


1 1 


il 


li  f       ! 


GO 


LU'E    OV    DIl.    LINN. 


::|:i        U 


(luring  benefits?  'J'he  people  of  this  little  eonnnunity 
paid  a  more  tlian  Spartan  reverence  to  old  age,  and 
it  diftcred  not  whether  it  was  arrayed  in  rags,  or  clothed 
in  the  costliest  apparel.  The  silvery  sheen  of  gray 
liairs  seemed  in  their  eyes  as  a  halo  of  glory,  and  to 
claim  for  the  form  of  feebleness  and  decrepitude  they 
covered  a  sort  of  devotional  respect,  originating,  not  in 
the  mere  sympathy  and  compassion  which  helplessness 
seldom  fails  to  awaken,  but  from  a  feeling,  that,  having 
reached  the  last  .resting-places  of  this  hnpcrfect  exist- 
ence and  being  purified  from  its  stains,  they  were 
almost  Avithin  tlie  poiials  of  the  true  and  perfect  life  to 
come,  and  already  appeared  imbued  with  a  portion  of 
its  unearthly  and  inconceivable  purity  and  splendor. 
The  mutual  kind  love  and  esteem  subsisting  between 
the  master  or  mistress  and  their  servants,  are  only  sur- 
passed ijy  the  relation  of  parents  and  children.  The 
tender  and  faithful  remembrance  of  those  Avho  have 
passed  before  them  Avith  the  sign  of  faith  to  their 
peaceful  rest,  is  a  beautiful  instance  of  the  enduring 
affection,  always  observable  among  them. 

Such  were  the  people  among  whom  Dr.  Linn's  lot 
in  life  was  cast,  and  with  whom  himself  and  family  long 
lived  so  happily,  and  who  are  left  the  beloved  guardians 
of  his  mortal  remains.  At  St.  Genevieve  is  a  convent 
founded  in  1832,  l)y  a  wealthy  lady,  a  descendant  of 
the  last  European  governor  of  Upper  Louisiana.     At- 


li! 


!  ,!1 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


61 


age,  and 
)r  clothed 
I  of  gray 
y,  and  to 
ude  they 
g,  not  in 
plessness 
t,  having 
ct  exist- 
ey  were 
ct  hfe  to 
>rtion  of 
plendor. 
jctween 
Illy  sur- 
The 
io  have 
their 
during 

n's  lot 
J  long 
rdians 
mvent 
mt  of 
At- 


tached tliercto,  is  an  academy  of  great  excellence,  in 
charge  of  the  Sisters,  for  the  education  of  young  ladies 
in  the  different  brauches  of  useful  knowledge,  aiul  all 
th(!  accomplishments  usually  deemed  necessary  to  a 
female  in  polite  society.  The  present  Mother  Superior 
is  a  jewel  from  the  Emerald  Isle  of  unusual  intellect 
and  administrative  capacity,  of  great  and  varied  attain- 
ments, and  being  specially  educated  herself  for  com- 
municating knowledge  to  others,  has  with  these  advan- 
tages the  natural  tact  so  useful  to  a  teacher ;  a  com- 
manding personal  appearance  and  deportment,  and  the 
most  attractive  manners.  Parents  and  [)upils  all  speak 
the  praise  of  these  sisters.  This  is  written  by  one  avIio 
is  a  Methodist,  and  surely  may  be  considered  impartial, 
who  had  children  to  educate,  and  was  as  an  anxious 
mother  desirous  to  select  the  best  school  where  the 
moral  instruction,  health  and  deportment  of  the  })U[)ils 
would  receive  the  requisite  attention,  as  well  as  learning 
and  accomplishments.  She  knew  of  several,  and  could 
have  had  choice  of  any  hi  the  land ;  this  she  deemed 
the  best,  and  although  warned  by  some  of  her  friends 
that  the  religion  of  her  daughter  would  be  interfered 
with,  has  had  no  reason  to  regret  her  choice,  but  on  the 
contrary,  is  gratefully  thankful.  Her  daughter  received 
an  excellent  education,  at  the  St.  Genevieve  convent, 
and  soon  after  leaving  that  institution,  became  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 


CHAPTER    II. 


I    iiiLii 


On  the  first  dny  of  July,  1818,  Dr.  Linn  was  married 
to  the  only  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Relfe,  of  Virginia, 
whose  early  death  (at  the  age  of  29)  cut  short  a  life 
which  his  attainments  and  acknoAvlcdgcd  abilities 
promised  to  adorn  and  render  useful  to  his  country. 
His  son.  Dr.  James  Relfe,  of  Washington  Comity,  Mis- 
souri, was  several  years  a  representative  in  Congress 
from  that  State. 

Providence,  in  depriving  Mrs.  Linn  and  her  brother 
of  a  fiither  in  their  early  life,  yet  left  them  the  in- 
estimable blessing  of  a  devoted  and  most  intelligent 
mother,  who  w^as  descended  from  an  ancient  ftuuily  in 
Scotland,  and  had  received  from  nature  a  character  of 
singular  firmness.  Her  personal  beauty  and  highly 
cultivated  mind  led  to  eligible  offers  of  a  second  mar- 
riage, which,  though  only  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
she  declined,  and  made  the  care  and  education  of  her 
children  the  sole  object  of  her  existence.     Educated 


;!   J 


^'A 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


C3 


5  iTiarried 
Virginia, 
ort  a  life 

abilities 
country. 

y,  Mis- 


/ongress 


th 


)rotlier 
ic  in- 
lligent 
lily  in 
ter  of 
highly 
(I  inar- 
)f  age, 
of  her 
icated 


If  '3 


herself  in  the  most  intelligent  circles  of  the  day,  and 
eminently  pious,  her  capacit)  as  aguide  andinstri'^tress 
was  equal  to  her  anxiety  as  a  mother.  Many  of  hev 
deelhiing  days  were  passed  at  the  house  of  her  son-in- 
law,  in  whose  charitable  ministrations  to  the  sick  and 
distressed  she  deeply  sympathized.  lie  constantly  s;iid 
that  her  religion  and  pure  benevolence  brought  blessings 
upon  the  hous(5hold  and  those  aroimd  it. 

Iiumediately  after  he  established  himself  in  St. 
Genevieve,  Dr.  Linn  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  with  the  most  unwearied  devotion,  iuid  de- 
rived the  greatest  pleasure  in  witnessing  the  relief  his 
rare  medical  skill  gave  to  poor  suffering  humanity. 
He  was  no  respector  of  persons  in  his  practice ;  the 
poor  and  lowly  received  his  unwearied  attention  with 
the  same  zeal  that  it  Avas  extended  to  the  wealthy  and 
aristocratic.  The  destitute  widow  and  orphan,  and  all 
other  indigent  persons  obtained  his  medicine  and  per- 
sonal attention,  knowing  that  they  would  never  be  re- 
quired to  pay  for  them.  Dr.  Linn  had  a  Lu'ge  press 
in  his  house  which  w-as  called  "  the  closet  fcr  the  poor," 
and  which  contained  every  thing  necessary  to  add  to  the 
comfort  of  the  sick  Avho  were  unable  tc  provide  for 
themselves.  One  day,  a  wine  merchant  vlio  lived  near 
the  doctor,  said  to  Mrs.  Linn,  "  Do  your  family  use  all 
the  wine  your  husband  sends  for  duiing  the  sickly 
season  ?     I  should  think  you  would  have  enough  to 


Hi: 


64 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


,i    I 


' 


H,:. 


i 


bathe  in,  but  I  l)clieve  every  drop  of  it  goes  to  the  sick 
who  arc  not  able  to  procure  it  for  themselves."  The 
doctor  had  a  very  extensive  practice  iu  three  counties, 
and  was  frequently  called  to  St.  Loujs  to  visit  the  sick. 
He  loved  his  ])rofession  and  attached  great  responsibility 
to  it.  Night  and  day  he  would  watcii  over  his  patients 
with  intense  solicitude,  as  long  as  his  physical  powers 
would  permit,  and  not  unfrequently  did  he  need  Jissist- 
ance  on  returnhig  home,  when  exhausted  fronnvatching 
over  and  administering  to  the  \vants  of  the  sick  and 
dying. 

When  it  became  evident  that  the  Asiatic  cholera 
had  taken  its  direction  towards  this  side  of  the  Atlantic, 
and  while  as  yet  all  attention  was  absorbed  in  the 
fatality  of  its  ravages  in  l*]uropc,  Dr.  Linn  opened  a 
cori'espondence  with  medical  men  abroad,  who  were 
familiar  with  the  symptoms  it  presented,  the  treatment 
and  remedies  most  successfully  nsed,  and  the  theories 
held  iu  relati(m  to  it.  He  received  from  various  sources 
a  niiiss  of  information  in  advance  of  its  appearance 
here,  and  was  thus  prepared  to  use  and  dissemhiate 
such  information,  and  to  grapple  with  the  terrible  foe 
upon  its  advent  and  desolating  march  over  our  con- 
tinent. 

When  the  scoiu'gc  at  length  reacluul  the  Atlantic 
cities,  aiul  it  was  impossible  to  doubt  its  malign  })resence 
in  New  York,  Dr.  Linn  iimnediately  ])Kblished  iu  the 


J — 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


65 


to  the  sick 
es."  The 
3  counties, 
t  the  sick. 
ponsibiHty 
is  patients 
!al  })o\vers 
eed  assist- 
nvatching 
sick  and 

tic  cholera 
!  Athnitic, 
3(1  in  the 
Dpcned  a 
10  were 
eatnient 
tlieories 
sources 
)earance 
seniuiate 
ible  foe 
I)ur  con- 


■:.*d|2 


fonu  of  a  circular,  a  history  of  the  disonso  and  its 
peculiar  effects  uixm  the  human  system,  and  he  warned 
the  i)eople  of  jNlissouri  and  Ilhnois  that  it  would  ere 
long  sweep  like  a  desolating- blast  ovei-  their  lionu^s. 
Tie  enjoined  them  to  be  prepared  to  resist  its  visit  by 
observing  the  premonitory  symptoms  which  he  indicated 
as  its  attendants,  and  assured  them  that  its  inroads 
could  bo  arrested  and  life  saveil. 

The  reci[)e  he  had  received  from  foreign  faculties 
was  composed  of  ingredients  so  simple  and  accessi])le, 
that  tlie  poorest  as  well  as  tlu)se  in  the  most  secluded 
corners  of  tlie  States  could  obtain  and  keep  them  ready 
for  nse.  lie  also  urged  tliem  to  dispel  their  fears  as 
far  as  practicable,  as  fear  was  a  great  })re(lisposing  cause 
of  the  cholera,  by  rapidly  enervating  the  physical  power. 

Owing  to  these  investigations  and  timely  counsels, 
the  strides  of  the  pestilence  w(;re  arretted  on  both  sides 
of  the  Mississij)])!  Kiver,  its  fatal  course  controi't'd  by 
the  (1  stant  hand  of  medical  scieiic(>  and  the  betievok'ut 
discernment  of  one  of  its  votaries.  Tlie  foicsiglit  which 
provided  against  its  advent  l)efore  it  had  k^ft  the  shores 
of  .another  hemisphere,  elevates  lae  skilful  jdiysician 
from  the  |)osition  of  individual  mei'it  to  the  rank  of 
|)hilanthropist,  whose  unseltish  toils  ask  to  be  re[)aid 
only  by  the  benetit  bestowed  upon  the  human  family. 
To  the  lati'st  period  of  Dr.  Linn's  life  he  di'rived  the 
most  li\elv  satisfaction  from  dwcllinji;  on  th;  vast  nuni- 


5 


jl      1 
f"     ! 

: 

]          ' 

'•   , 

1:1    i   ;:■ 

i;ih::i! 

! 

' 
i 

ii! 

: 

66 


LIFE    OP    DR.    LINN. 


ber  of  letters  from  different  parts  of  Missouri  and 
Illinois,  which  were  addressed  to  him  by  persons  ])ouring 
forth  the  deepest  fe(;lings  of  gratitude  for  the  medical 
advice  imparted  to  them  through  his  timely  warning. 
They  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  they  believed  the 
diffusion  of  this  information  was  the  cause  of  saving 
of  the  lives  of  hundrcids  of  persons  ;  for  previous  to 
its  reception  they  wcn'e  all  paralyzed  with  horror  at  the 
ai)proach  of  tlie  disease ;  but  when  they  saw  those  cir- 
culars frcmi  one  who  had  attained  so  high  a  reputation 
as  Dr.  Linn,  they  became  inspired  Avith  liope  and 
courage. 

It  was  a  cold  and  very  disagreeable  morning  in 
October,  1S32,  when  a  gentleman,  a  citizen  of  St. 
(lenevieve,  came  riding  rapidly  to  the  door  of  Dr.  Liim's 
house,  and  calling  to  him,  said  that  a  steamboat  had  left 
an  unfortunate  stranger  very  ill  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  a  little  distance  from  town  :  that  he  ap])eared  from 
his  violent  strugg^js  to  have  the  cramp,  and  that  his 
cries  for  assistance  were  ^f.ily  distressing.  No  person 
wonld  ap[)roach  him,  for  l)y  doing  so  tlie\  thonght  i, 
would  seal  their  own  doom,  not  doubting  tliat  he  was 
a  victim  of  the  cholera.  "  Now,  good  Dr.  Linn,"  the 
gentleman  continued,  "  if  you  decline  doing  any  thing 
for  the  stranger,  no  other  ])erson  will  venture  to  aid  him, 
and  it  is  dreadful  to  think  of  his  dying  on  the  cold,  wet 
earth,  (K'prived  of  assistance,  and  so  many  persons  near 


t 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


07 


ssouri  and 
ms  pouring 
he  medical 
y  warning, 
^lieved  the 

of  saving 
)revi()us  to 
)rror  at  the 
i  those  cir- 
reputation 

liope   and 

norning  in 

;en   of  St. 

Dr.  Liini's 

lit  ]iad  left 

iilv  of  the 

arcd  from 

that  his 

o  persoa 

ought  i, 

t  lie  was 

nil,"  the 

my  tiling 

aid  him, 

cold,  wet 

■foiis  near 


him ! "  Without  an  instant's  hesitation,  tlu;  Doctor 
replied  that  he  would  take  charge  of  the  invalid  ;  and 
looking  with  great  affection  on  his  wife  and  children,  he 
sjiid,  "  jVIy  dear  Avife,  the  time  is  at  hand  when  it  be- 
comes necessary  for  you  to  take  our  children,  and 
without  delay  hasten  to  the  country,  to  avoid  this 
strange  and  awful  sco\n*ge  Avhicli  is  about  to  visit  us ; 
mv  diitv  is  to  remain  here  and  do  all  I  can  for  the 
sick."  Mrs.  Linn,  looking  with  affection  on  her  noble 
and  self-sacrificing  husband,  I'cplied — "The  time  has 
indeed  arrived  when  I  too  nuist  do  my  duty,  and  that 
is  to  stay  with  my  blessed  husband  and  relieve  him  as 
far  as  it  is  in  my  poAVcr,  In  Avatching  over  and  nursing 
tlic  sick.  Dr.  Linn  fondly  embraced  his  wife,  saying, 
"  Such  a  determination  is  worthy  of  you,  my  beloved 
wife,  [ind  I  should  liave  expected  it  from  you  ;  now  let 
us  hasten  to  do  something  for  the  suffering  stranger 
whom  Providence  has  intrusted  to  our  keeping."  In 
vain,  however,  were  all  their  efforts  to  get  any  person 
or  any  sort  of  conveyance  to  bring  the  sick  man  to 
their  house.  Such  was  the  dreadful  panic  which  had 
seized  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  (believing  the  cholera 
was  as  infectious  as  ever  the  plague  liad  been),  they 
could  not  think  of  Dr.  Linn  going  near  the  diseased 
person,  or  that  he  should  1)e  brought  to  town.  The 
Doctor  findinir  all  his  servants  had  fled  irom  home  on 
hearing   his  intention,  requested  one  of  his  students, 


68 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


Mr.  AVilk(;rs()ii,  to  assist  liim,  as  he  tliouglit  tl>cy  to- 
gctlici-  might  be  able  to  convey  tlie  })aticut  in  n  blanket 
from  t]i(!  river  to  his  lioiise.  While  they  Avent  on  this 
mission  of  merey,  Mrs,  Linn  commenced  to  |)rej)are,  in 
great  haste,  a  room  for  her  expected  guest ;  but  was 
internq)ted  by  a  number  of  jjcr.sons  collected  ai'ound 
the  house,  who  clamorously  assured  herthat  herhiisband 
would  not  be  [)ermitted  tobrisig  a  person  in  their  midst 
with  the  cholera,  for  coutitgion  and  (^eath  followeil  in 
its  wake.  Serious  ap[)reheusions  entered  her  mind  that 
they  might  molest  the  Doctor  and  his  kind-hearted 
siudent;  for  she  Siiw  in  the  wild  excitement  of  the 
l)anic-strickeii  ])eopl(3  that  they  were  not  responsible  for 
their  acts.  Jler  fears  Avere  increased  when  she  saw 
one  of  her  most  intimate  ac(juaintances  with  a  torch  in 
his  hand,  and  heard  him  exclaim,  ''  Mis.  Limi,  let  me 
see  tiie  Doctor  turn  the  corner  of  that  street,  and  I  will 
a])j)ly  this  torch  to  hisoifici^*  and  bju'u  it  to  its  founda- 
tion." Another  still  more  energetically  called  out, 
"Let  us  tear  down  the  hous(!  and  save  our  conuuunity 
from  the  [)estilence."  It  was  in  vain  she  attempted  to 
l)e  heard,  thev  wei'e  beyond  the  bounds  of  reason  ; 
their  (.'ars  open  to  but  one  word,  cholera;  and  that 
Avord  closed  all  the  avcmies  to  charity,  humanity  and 
hos])itality.     While  thus  contesthig  the  point,  a  little 


*  Rodiiis  were,  [ircijand  in  Dr.  Liiiii'.s  oflico  for  the  reception  of  those  sick 
with  the  cliolcni. 


|ii    !■ 


m. 


LirK   OF    IJR.    LINN. 


09 


t  tb.cy  to- 

'i  blanket 

lit  on  this 

ii'ej)ar{3,  in 

;    l)llt  WilS 

(I  around 

I'lmshaiul 

WAV  midst 

llowod  in 

iiiiid  tliat 

d-licai'tcd 

it  of  the 

iisil)lo  lor 

she  saw 

I  torch  in 

1,  let  me 

11(1  1  will 

>  foniidu- 

ed    out, 

1  nullity 

ipted  to 

reason ; 

id  that 

lity  and 

a   little 


colored  inessenger  Avhom  she  had  sent  to  inform  her 
husband  of  the  threats  that  had  been  made,  returned 
in  haste  to  inform  his  mistress  that  Dr.  Linn  and  Mr. 
W'ilkerson  Avere  approaehiiig,  bearui'i;  the  sick  to  tlio 
house.  This  struck  the  crowd  a\  it!;  naiiie,  and  as  if  by 
magic  it  brcjke  and  dispersed  scattering  lit  every  di- 
rection, terror  giving  speed  to  its  retreat.  A^'llcn  tlic 
Doctor  arrived,  not  one  remained  to  prevent  his  entrance 
to  the  house. 

Life  was  not  extinct  in  the  unfortunate  man,  and 
he  was  soon  made  as  comfortable  as  the  case  permitted  ; 
his  first  words  to  j\Irs.  Linn,  wlioAvas  standing  near  his 
coucii,  were  uttered  in  a  voice  of  agonv  :  "  Madam,  if 
you  wish  (iod  to  l)h>ss  you  in  your  dyhig  hour,  pray  give 
iiK!  something  warm  to  drink."  Mr.  I  f amiiii  (the  name 
f  the  stranger)  received  all  the  attention  that  could  be 
bestowed  u])on  him,  until  death termhiated  his  sufferings, 
'i^lirec  other  victims  of  the  cholera,  left  by  steamers 
on  tlu!  bank  of  the  river,  were  taken  in  charge  and 
nursed.  Durhig  this  time  Ave  all  enjoyed  perfect  health. 
This  circumstance,  Avitli  the  constant  assurance  of  their 
kind  |)liysician,  that  the  cholera  Avas  not  infectious, 
(hspelled  the  fears  of  the  citizens  of  St.  (Jenevieve,  and 
they  again  became  unwearied  in  kindness  and  attention 
to  the  sick  and  afflicted,  hospitable  and  humane. 


o 


tlio.se  sick 


CHAPTER    III 


Dr.  Linn  was  frequently  urged  by  his  friends  to  suffer 
his  name  to  be  used  as  a  candidate  for  Congress.  His 
popularity  rendered  his  elcetion  certain.  He  declined, 
however,  such  friendly  proposals,  re])lying  to  them  truly 
that  he  had  no  political  aspirations.  Soon  after  the 
lamented  decease  of  the  Hon.  S.  Pettis,  a  connnittee 
of  gentlemen  from  St.  Louis  waited  upon  Dr.  Linn,  to 
request  him  to  become  a  candidate  for  Congress  as  the 
successor  of  this  gentleman.  He  again  stated  hiss  un- 
willingness to  enter  into  public  life,  and  respectfully  de- 
clined their  friendly  overtures.  Once,  and  once  only, 
he  was  prevailed  iq)on  to  seiTC  one  session  in  the  State 
Senate  of  Missouri,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the  pas- 
sage of  a  law^  beneficial  to  the  southern  part  of  the  State. 
In  1833.  his  reputation  as  a  physician  had  Ijecome 
so  extensive,  and  the  demands  on  his  time  so  constant, 
that  his  health  became  impaired  from  the  fatigue  he 
underwent,  ,  His  friends  and  family  became  so  nmch 


i! 


.  1 ' 

LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


71 


alarmed  on  his  account,  that  they  induced  him  to  accept 
au  appointment  tendered  to  him  hy  General  Jackson, 
to  act  as  one  of  three  commissioners  appointed  to  settle 
the  ohl  French  land  claims  in  Missouri.  The  change 
of  occupation  and  relaxation  from  professional  duties, 
it  was  trusted,  would  restore  his  health ;  and  he  con- 
sented to  become  a  member  of  the  Board. 

The  satisfaction  he  gave  to  all  parties  interested  in 
these  lands,  by  the  mode  in  A\hich  his  duties  were  dis- 
charged, added  to  the  confidence  of  the  pid)lic  in  his 
character,  and  enabled  him,  Avlien  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  to  demonstrate  the  justice  of  the  adjudi- 
cation, and  to  procure  from  Congress  an  equitable  law 
for  the  final  adjnstment  of  them  all.  Nevertheless,  this 
new  field  of  duties,  instead  of  bringing  the  repose  and 
change  of  life  he  so  nnich  needed,  plunged  him  into 
the  discharge  of  a  more  arduous  ami  perilous  })rofes- 
sional  life.  His  society  was  sought  by  all  social  circles 
with  great  eagerness.  To  the  aged  he  was  ever  a  most 
welcome  guest ;  his  animated  conversation  charmed 
them,  and  the  enjoyment  he  received  in  hearing  them 
relate  events  of  bygcme  days,  made  them  feel,  as  they 
expressed  themselves,  "young again."  To  those  in  the 
meridian  of  life  his  society  possessed  a  general  charm — 
his  fine  conversational  powers,  his  winning  manners, 
his  versatility  of  talent,  drawn  from  a  mind  that  was  a 
pei-fect  storchonse  of  knowledge,  could  not  be  excelled 


::i 


iiili  l-i 


11:1 


72 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


l)y  any  one.  By  young  persons  his  appearance  was 
hailed  with  dchght ;  his  juanly  beauty,  liis  graceful  de- 
portuKMit,  A\'ith  Jiis  great  desire  to  contribute  every 
tiling  ill  his  ])ower  to  amuse  or  instruct  them,  made 
them  iiuxious  for  his  society.  The  Doctor's  passionate 
attnchmciit  to  cliildren  made  their  pure  young  hearts 
spring  fortli  to  meet  his  affectionate  embrace  wherever 
they  beheld  liiin.  As  it  became  necessary  for  him  to 
live  in  St.  Louis  to  attend  to  his  duties  as  commis- 
sioner, he  removed  with  his  family  to  that  city  in  June, 
1833.  A  mouth  after  their  departure  from  St.  Gene- 
vieve, the  cholera  broke  out  in  the  most  frightful  form 
in  St.  Louis.  Little  could  be  done  by  the  Board  in  a 
time  of  death  and  distress,  and  he  devoted  himself 
night  and  day  to  the  victims  of  the  pestilence.  In 
the  moiitli  of  September  his  friends  in  St.  Genevieve 
sent  an  express,  entreating  him  to  return  to  them,  if  it 
was  only  for  a  few  days,  informing  him  that  many  of 
his  most  valued  friends  had  beoii  swept  from  the  world 
within  a  few  days  by  the  cholera,  and  that  the  deepest 
gloom  hung  over  the  village.  They  declared  "  that  the 
united  ^'oice  of  every  citizen  implored  their  kind  friend 
and  successful  [ihysician  to  come  and  give  them  medical 
aid,  that  if  mortal  man  could  save  them  from  the  cholera 
he  could."  The  Doctor  was  not  proof  to  *such  an  ap- 
peal :  concealing  from  his  family  the  cause  of  his  de- 
parture, he  went  immediately  to  relieve  his  friends. 


LIFE    OP    DR.    LINN. 


73 


aiice  was 

ccfiil  de- 

te  every 

1)1,  made 

assioiiate 

ig  lieai'ts 

ivlicrever 

'  him  to 

commis- 

iii  June, 

t.  Geiie- 

:ful  form 

)ar(l  in  a 

liimself 

ice.     In 

.'nevicve 

111,  if  it 

lany  of 

3  world 

deepest 

liat  the 

friend 

nediciil 

liolera 

an  ap- 

liis  de- 

riends. 


Many  of  the  citizens  wlieii  descrihing  the  effect  of  his 
arrival  among  them,  said,  "  Tlic  very  sight  of  Dr.  Linn 
inspired  hope  and  coiitidence,  and  they  felt  he  was  like 
iin  angel  of  mercy  come  to  restore  health  and  h!ii)})i- 
ness  to  them,  through  the  blessing  of  God."  Taking 
little  rest  for  twelve  days  and  nights,  the  Doctor  at- 
tended constantly  to  the  sick  and  dying.  At  length  he 
was  seized  Avith  the  cholera  himself.  Believing  he 
would  die,  he  despatched  a  faithful  French  servant, 
Antohie,  for  his  Avife.  His  greatest  earthly  hope  Avas 
to  see  her  before  his  death.  In  less  time  than  the 
distance  Avas  ever  travelled  })efore,  Aiitoine  reached  St. 
Louis,  at  eiglit  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  required 
but  a  fcAv  moments  for  Mrs.  Linn  to  take  lier  departure 
to  join  her  husband.  As  there  Avas  no  steand)oat  to 
leave  St.  Louis  for  sonic  hours,  a  friend  brought  an 
(excellent  horse  and  carriage  to  her,  and  offei'cd  to  ac- 
company her.  Thanking  him  for  his  kindness,  she  pre- 
ferred going  Avitli  Antoine,  as  she  knew  she  could 
accelerate  the  jonmcy  more  Avith  her  servant  than  with 
any  other  person.  (jOA'crnor  Dodge  Avas  at  that  time 
in  the  city,  Init  unfortunately  had  Avalked  out  on  busi- 
ness. As  the  exigency  of  her  summons  made  every 
moment  precious,  she  sent  a  messenger  for  hhu  and 
hurj'ied  on  her  Avay.  The  road  Ijcing  better  on  the 
Illinois  than  the  Missouri  side  of  the  river,  they  crossed 
tilt!  ^Mississippi  at  St.  Louis  and  travelled  at  a  very  rapid 


¥ 


,  ^    \ 


74 


LIFE    OF    DR.    TJNN. 


rate ;  but  night  came  on  wlien   tlicy  were   still  tliree 
miles   tVoni    the    ferry-house   opposite    St.  Genevieve. 
A  slow  tine  rain  had  been   tailing  all  day,  and  it  now 
became  so  intei.sely  dark  that  the  nearest  object  could 
not  be  s(;en,  and  it  was  only  by  the  flashes  of  lightning 
which  now  and  then  lit  up  the  heavens,  that  they  could 
see  they  were  still  in  the  road.     At  length  Antoinetold 
Mrs.  Liim  that  there  was  a  thick  wood,  more  than  a 
mile  long,  through  which  they  nmst  pass  before  they 
reached  the  ferry-house  ;  that  it  was  intersected  with  a 
great  nund)er  of  sloughs  putting  back  from  the  river; 
that  it  wiis  perilous  to  pursue  the  road  in  the  diirkness 
and  storm,  but  that  if  slu      Mild  permit   him  to  turn 
back  a  little  distance,  he  could  find  a  road  that  led  to  a 
small  village,  where  she  could  remahi   until  daylight, 
and  reach  St.   Genevieve  early  in  the  morning.     Mrs. 
Linn  implored  him  not  to  think  of  donig  so,  but  to 
remember  his  promise  to  her  husband  to  hasten  her 
journey  without  any  delay  :  that  he  nmst  uoav  keep  on 
at  all  hazards,  for  she  would  not  stop  unless  forced  to 
do  so  until  she  was  uiuler  the  same  roof  Avith  her  hus- 
band.    Antoine  then  gave  her  the  rehis  and  Avent  in 
ad\  ance,  feeling  for  the  road  through  the  woods  a  short 
distance  at  a  time,  and,  as  he  found  it,  called  to  her 
and  she  drove  up  to  him.     In  this  manner,  groping 
their  way,  Autoine  in  advance,  they  proceeded  until 
they  passed  the  woods,  and  reached  the  ferry-house. 


Lll'Ji    OF    DR.    LINN. 


76 


still  tliree 

Genevieve. 

imd  it  now 

il)ject  could 

if  lightning 

they  could 

^ntoinetold 

iiore  than  a 

before  they 

cted  with  a 

I  the  river ; 

le  d.'U'kness 

iin  to  turn 

liut  led  to  a 

daylight, 

]\lrs. 

so,  Ijut  to 

asten  her 

iw  keep  on 

forced  to 

I  her  hus- 

went  in 

ds  a  short 

ed  to  her 

groping 

(led  until 

rv-house. 


ng. 


Although  saturated  with  the  contunied  rain,  and  very 
nuich  l)ruis(;d  by  the  limbs  and  low  brandies  of  the 
trees  through  which  she  had  passed,  jMrs.  L.  was  so 
absorbed  in  agonizhig  apprehensions  for  her  husband, 
that  she  was  insensible  to  the  injuries  she  had  received 
and  the  discomfort  of  her  person.  On  enterhig  the 
fcrry-honse,  a  innnber  of  persons  were  found  assembled 
in  a  large  room, — many  of  them  victims  of  the  cholera 
— three  were  dying.  Mrs.  L.  instantly  recpiested  the 
ferryman  to  take  her  across  the  Mississij)pi  without 
delay,  lie  j)ointed  to  the  dreadful  condition  of  his 
family,  and  told  her  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  do  so. 
lie  could  not  lea\e  them,  addhig  that  the  night  was 
too  dark  and  tempestuous  to  attempt  crossing  the  river. 
In  great  distress  she  exclaimed,  "  Is  there  no  one  here 
who  for  the  love  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  will  assist  me 
over  the  river  to  my  dying  husband  ?  "  Lumediately  a 
fine-looking  young  girl  rose  from  the  bedside  of  one 
of  the  dying  persons  Avliere  she  had  been  kneeling,  and 
said,  "  iMrs.  Linn,  I  will  take  you  over  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Antoine,  if  you  will  go  in  a  skiff,"  Her  father, 
the  ferryman,  objected  in  the  most  positive  terms  to 
the  attempt.  The  young  woman  remonstrated  with  him 
saying,  "  iMy  father,  do  you  not  remember  all  that  good 
Dr.  Linn  did  for  us  when  my  mother  died,  and  the 
great  tronble  he  underwent  when  my  brother  J.'unes  was 
so  long  sick,  ami  that  he  never  charged  lis  for  what  he 


il 


76 


Lll'r,    OF    DR.    I, INN. 


(lid?  indeed  I  ciuinot  refuse  to  tid<c  Ills  wife  to  him 
when  he  may  be  dyinfj;."  "  Cjo,  Margjiret,"  said  lier 
fatlier,  "'  and  may  tlie  saints  proteetyoii."  jNIrs.  Linn, 
Margaret  and  Antoine,  hastened  to  the  rivei*.  The 
nii^ht  continned  intensely  dark  and  the  thunder  rolled 
territic.dly,l)ut  the  rain  had  ceased,  and  flashes  of  light- 
ning illmninated  the  water  and  the  objects  around 
them.  They  entered  the  skiff',  and  Margaret  directed 
Antoine  to  take  the  steering  oar  while  she  nsed  the 
paddles.  At  a  short  distance  from  the  shore  the  waves 
filled  the  boat  and  it  sank,  fortunately  in  shallow  water. 
They  Avaded  to  the  bank,  Antoine  dragging  the  skiff 
with  him.  ^Irs.  Linn  persuaded  him  to  empty  the 
watei',  and  ])repare  for  another  endeavor  to  cross  the 
ri\ei\  INIargaret  directing  him  to  take  the  paddles,  said 
she  wT)uld  manage  the  steering  oar,  and  get  safely 
across,  although  the  wind  was  very  high.  Again  they 
embarked  in  the  skiff,  and  in  a  few  moments  were 
rapidly  gliding  vwer  the  water.  As  they  approached 
the  jMissouri  shores,  they  discovered  that  the  skiff'  was 
leaking  very  fast.  ]\Lu'garet  told  Mrs.  Linn  that  she 
would  find  a  tin  bucket  under  the  seat,  and  that  she 
must  use  it  with  all  her  strength  in  throwing  the  water 
out  of  the  skiff',  or  it  would  sink  and  all  would  be  lost. 
Mrs.  Linn  followed  the  instructions  of  the  admirable 
girl,  and  the  powerful  use  Antohie  made  of  the  paddles 
brought   them   safely   to   the   shore.     They  had  but 


LIIK    OF    DR.    LINN. 


77 


fe  to  him 

'  said   lier 

Irs.  Linn, 

vol'.     'IMie 

idcr  rolled 

3S  of  light- 

ts   nroinul 

t  directed 

nscd  the 

the  waves 

low  water. 

the   skiff 

empty  the 

cross  the 

hlles,  said 

T;(,'t   safely 

irain  they 

ents  were 

proached 

skiff  was 

that  she 

that  she 

he  water 

1  be  lost. 

idmirahle 

e  paddles 

had  but 


abanduued  the  skiff  an  instant  when  it  filled  hi  deep 
water.  iMrs.  Linn  urged  Margaret  to  go  with  her  into 
^t.  (jenevieve  and  remain  until  dayliglit,  bnt  the  kind- 
hearted  girl  rephed,  "  Oh,  1  nuist  return  as  soon  as 
possible;  to  my  suffering  family."  Heing  near  the  house 
of  a  friend  on  the  river  bank,  Mrs.  Linn  proenred  a 
good  boat,  and  two  stont  men  to  take  jVIargaret  back 
to  her  fath{;r.  She  pressed  her  to  re('ei\e  money  for 
the  great  services  she  had  rendered,  but  the  noble  girl 
positively  refnsed,  and  said,  "  that  which  she  had  done 
was  for  the  sake  of  her  religion  and  the  debt  of  grati- 
tude she  owed  Dr.  Linn." 

Mi-s.  Limi  Avas  repaid  for  the  risks  she  had  encoun- 
tered by  tliuling  herluisband  still  living,  and  that  hopes 
were  entcrtaincul  of  his  recovery.  Ill  as  he  was,  he 
was  iuex[)ressibly  rejoiced  to  behold  her,  and  })rayed 
God  to  s})are  his  life  for  the  sake  of  his  wife  and 
childnm.  (jovernor  Dodge  reached  St.  Genevieve  the 
following  mornuig,  and  told  Mrs.  Linn  that  he  had 
frctpiently  o\';rtakeu  Indians  runnhig  from  him  with  all 
the  fleetness  for  Avhich  they  are  I'emarkable,  but  he 
should  never  again  try  to  overtake  a  wife  flying  to  seek 
a  sick  husband.  Lie  had  left  St.  Louis  half  an  hour 
after  her,  and  although  mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  had 
tried  in  vain  to  overtake  her 


'M 


CHAPTER    IV. 


The  (lay  before  Dr.  Linn  was  taken  ill,  his  predecessor 
in  tlie  United  Sates  Senate,  Col.  Alexander  l-Jnckner, 
and  his  wife,  hotli  died  of  the  cholera.  Inmiediately 
nnnierons  petitions  were  sent  from  different  })arts  of 
Sonthcrii  Missonri  to  (jov.  Dnnklin,  vn'ij;ini;  him  to  select 
Dr.  Linn  to  till  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  deatli  of 
Col.  Bnckner  (in  the  U.  S.  Senate).  A  large  nnmber  of 
Whigs  signed  these  petitions,  stating  that  they  k!iew  a 
Dchiocmf  nnist  fill  the  office,  and  they  pri^ferred  l)i'. 
Linn  to  any  other  man  of  that  party,  as  they  knew  he 
wonld  attend  to  the  bnsiness  of  his  ])olitical  o})ponents 
before  Congress  us  faithfully  as  he  Avonld  discharge  his 
dnty  to  his  democratic  constitnents.  IJefore  Dr.  Tjiini 
was  sufficiently  restored  to  health  to  leave  the  hos])itable 
mansion  of  his  friend,  the  lion.  John  Scott,  in  St. 
(ji'iievieve  (where  he  had  been  attended  with  unwearied 
kindness  by  that  gentleman  and  every  member  of  his 
family),  he  received  the  appointment  of  U.   S.  Senator 


LIFE    OF    1)11.    LINN. 


79 


idcccssor 

'■Jnckiier, 

ledi.'itely 

parts  of 

to  select 

lea  til  of 

mber  of 

knew  a 

ivd  Dr. 

knew  he 

[poiieuts 

firge  liis 

I'.  Linn 

pitable 

in  St. 

ivearied 

of  his 

Beiiator 


from  (Jov.  Dunklin,  which  Avas  contirnied  h\  the  iniani- 
nious  vote  of  the  Missonri  Legislature,  as  soon  as  that 
bodv  convened. 

One  of  the  agreeable  anticipations  he  had  indulged 
in  taking  his  scat  in  the  U.  S.  Senate  was,  the  ()|)|)or- 
tunity  it  would  atford  him  to  cultivate  an  intercourse 
with  (Jen.  Jackson,  who  had  been  the  hi'io  of  his 
heart's  Avarmest  admiration  from  ins  youth,  lie  had 
frequ(ntlv  expressed  the  hope  that  (leu.  Jackson  Avould 
be  elected  to  the  presidency.  In  lS;2."i,  when  (ien. 
Jackson  Avas  elected  to  tlieU.  S.  Senate  from  tlie  State 
of  'rennessee,  Dr.  Liiui  said  at  a  large  dinner  party  at 
the  Hon.  John  Scott's,  in  St.  Genevieve,  Avhere  there 
AATrc  present  several  disthiguished  politicians,  tiiat  he 
firmly  believed  the  election  of  (ien.  Jackson  at  that 
time  to  the  Senate  Avas  the  precursor  of  his  being  elected 
to  tile  presidency  in  a  fcAV  years.  His  friends  laughed 
at  his  enthusiastic  admiration  of  the  Hei'o  of  NeAV 
Orleans,  and  Judge  Po})e of  Illinois  remarked  to  him — 
"You  never  Avill  he  able  to  find  seven  votes  in  Missouri 
or  Illinois  that  Avoiild  sustain  (Jen.  Jackson  for  that 
high  station."  Dr.  Linn  replied,  that  such  Avas  the 
contidcnce  he  had  in  the  sound  judgment  of  his 
countrymen,  that  he  would  be  willing  to  pledge  his 
life  that  before  the  expiration  of  ten  years,  no  political 
men  in  either  Missonri  or  Illinois  would  be  sustained, 
Avho  Avere  not  in  favor  of  CJen.  Jackson  for  the  i)resi- 


I  ::i  i 


80 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


n 


I  ,  I 


r''-u. 


deiicy.      Ill   five   years   the   Doctor's   prediction   was 
verified. 

Diliideiit  of  liis  powers  in  pu1)lic  debate,  Dr.  Linn 
rarely  s[)oke  in  tlie  Senate  during'  tlie  first  few  years  he 
was  a  niein])er  of  ^iiat  ])()dv,  ])nt  dc^voted  his  attention 
to  tlie  private  elaiins  of  IMissonri,  in  which  he  was  very 
foi'tuiiate ;  for,  of  the  number  of  hills  he  j)resented  to 
the  Senate  for  his  constituents  he  never  lost  one. 

]lc  ])ossessed  the  respect  and  esteem  of  e\ery 
member  of  the  Senate  without  regard  to  political 
opinions.  The  Ihjihly  lijifted  and  liberal  senator,  Mr. 
Crittenden,  from  his  native  State  of  Kentiickv,  was  his 
warm  friend,  and  said  of  him,  that  Dr.  Linn  possessed 
a  high  order  of  intellect  ;  was  resolute,  courageous,  and 
ardent  in  all  his  pursuits.  A  decided  party  man, 
he  aftei'wards  ])articipatetl  largely  in  the  business  of 
the  Senate  and  the  confiicts  of  its  debates,  but  there 
was  a  kindness  and  benignity  about  hhn,  that,  like 
polished  armor,  turned  aside  all  feeling  of  ill-will  or 
animosity.  He  had  political  opponents  in  the  Senate, 
but  not   an  enemy. 

The  ehxpient  W  .  C.  Preston,  senator  from  South 
(,'arolina,  once  said  to  a  gentleman  in  Philadel[)liia,  "  Dr. 
Limi  is  the  only  Democrat  1  should  W\  distressed  to 
hear  had  hecomc  a  candidare  for  the  Presidency  ;  for, 
good  Whig  as  I  am,  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  vote 
against  such  a  pure  and  noble  patriot  as  I  know  hhn 


LIFE    OF    Dll.    LINN. 


81 


ion   wa^ 

)r.  Linn 
years  lie 
ittcntion 
was  very 
eiiteil  to 
le. 

)t'   every 

politieal 

it  or,  Mr. 

,  was  I  lis 

)ossessed 

'ous,  and 

ty  man, 

iness   of 

lit  tliere 

hilt,  like 

-will  or 

Senate, 

11   South 

|a,  "Dr. 

lessed  to 

'V  ;  lor, 

to  vote 

)\v  him 


to  be,  and  one  who  loves  his  conntry  with  a  zeal  rarely 
eqnalled  and  never  surpassed." 

The  great  Western  statesman,  Mr.  Clay,  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  Mrs.  Linn,  expressing  his  grateful  feelings 
for  Dr.  Linn's  great  kindness  hi  his  niedieal  attention 
on  his  son,  observed,  "  The  greatest  boon  yon  can  ask 
from  Heaven,  my  dear  madam,  is  that  your  son  may 
resemble  liis  father,  Avho  eommands  the  admiration  and 
gains  the  love  of  all  that  know  him."  If  such  were 
the  sentiments  of  Dr.  Linn's  political  opponents  towards 
him  during  exciting  times  in  the  Senate,  what  may  be 
imagined  were  the  feelings  of  his  own  political  friends, 
where  not  a  cloud  of  })()litical  difference  could  cast  a 
shadow  OAcr  the  Avariii  snnshine  of  their  friendship  ? 

During  the  iirst  session  Dr.  Linn  Avas  in  4ie  Senate, 
he  became  acquainted  Avitli  ourju'csent  Chief  Magistrate, 
Gen.  Pierce,  then  the  much-admired,  nm\  youngest 
member  in  the  House  of  Reiiresentatives.  The  Doctor 
deemed  himself  most  fortunate  hi  living  hi  the  same 
mess  whh  Gen.  Pierce,  for  whom  he  soon  formed  a 
warm  friendship  ;  he  loved  to  dwell  on  the  rare  coni- 
biiiiitions  in  his  friend's  character — of  the  cool,  dis- 
criminating judgment  of  the  North,  with  the  warm 
chivalry  of  Southern  feeling.  Little  then  could  he 
imagine  that  the  friend  in  whose  society  he  s])ent  so 
many  hajipy  hours,  was  to  be  the  best  friend  of  his 
bereaved  family  in  adversity,   when   he   slept  in  the 


mi 


ii  1 


m 


8 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


tonih — not  only  to  aid  his  only  son  on  the  fiehl  of 
battle  in  a  (Hstant  couutiy,  but  to  kindly  extend  his 
fi'icndship  to  him  from  the  highest  station  on  earth. 

When  Gen.  Pieree  beeanic  a  member  of  the  U.  S. 
Senate,  the  pleasure  of  Dr.  Linn's  intercourse  with  liim 
was  inereased  by  fornung  the  acquaintance  of  Mrs. 
Pierce,  whose  pure  and  lovely  cluu'aeter  made  the 
Doctor  esteem  and  admire  her  as  one  of  the  first  ladies 
in  our  country,  a  model  for  her  sex.  Ardent  in  his 
feehngs,  the  deep  attachment  he  felt  for  some  of  the 
senators,  with  the  kindest  regard  for  all  of  them,  ap- 
peared daily  to  increase  initil  the  time  of  his  death — 
he  felt,  with  all  the  sensibility  of  his  nol)le  nature,  the 
kindness  with  which  they  had  all  treated  hhu  while 
discliargiiig  his  senatorial  duties.  J  lis  absorbing  love 
for  jMissouri  had  made  him  ask  much  for  his  gifted 
State,  and,  as  all  he  required  was  reasonable,  not  a 
senator  felt  disposed  to  vote  agahist  him  who  was  ever 
happy  to  have  it  in  his  poAv<<r  to  do  a  faAor  for  any  one 
of  them. 

So  fortunate  was-  Dr.  Lhni  in  getting  bills  through 
the  Senate  for  the  benefit  of  Missouri,  that  one  day, 
when  ill  his  usual  happy  manner  he  was  [)rcsenting  a 
nund)er  of  bills  to  the  Senate,  his  friend  Mr.  Buchanan 
remarked  jestingly,  "  that  it  would  save  nuich  time  to 
the  Senate,  and  great  trouble  to  the  Doctor  in  reading 
these  l)ills,  to  put  them  in  a  })ile  and  say,  'These  bills 


"m 


ield  of 
cud  his 
irtli. 
ic  U.  S. 
■itU  him 
of  Mrs. 
iule    the 
■st  ladies 
it  in  his 
ic  of  the 
hem,  ap- 

death — 
iturc,  the 
iin   while 

)[\v^  love 
gifted 

V,  not  a 

was  ever 
any  one 

through 

Diie   dav, 

renting  a 

uchaium 

V  time  to 

reading 

ese  hills 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


83 


are  Dr.  Linn's  for  the  benefit  of  Missonri,'  and  thus 
let  them  pass  as  they  are  sure  to  do."  Tliis  snggestioii 
was  in  the  same  spirit  of  jileasantry  seconded  by  Mr. 
Cliiv.  There  was  one  bill  for  the  benefit  of  Missouri 
wliich  Dr.  Linn  carried  tAvice  through  the  Senate,  and 
was  nnu'h  grieved  that  the  House  of  Representatives 
(Ud  not  act  on  it — it  was  the  ai)i)ropriation  which  the 
Senate  made  to  drain  the  swamp  lands  in  the  southeri' 
part  of  the  State,  which  were  so  deleterious  to  the 
heal  til  of  a  large  portion  of  the  country  during  the  Avarm 
season.  To  drain  these  swamps  would  not  only  be 
beneficial  to  tlio  health  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
country,  but  land  Avould  be  redeemed  that  would  form 
many  rich  counties  for  the  State. 

At  the  time  Dr.  Linn  took  his  seat  in  the  U.  S. 
Senate  there  was  great  excitement  in  the  two  ])olitical 
parties  of  our  coimtry.  It  was  fre((uently  the  case  that 
some  of  the  distinguished  statesmen  of  our  nation 
rather  avoided  forming  the  acquaintance  of  new  senators, 
b(>(^anse  they  wttc  of  diffcM-ent  political  opinions,  wlnle 
others  took  phiasure  in  cultivating  an  intercourse  with 
those  who  possessed  a  similarity  of  taste  and  feeling 
with  themselves,  not  permitting  a  difterence  of  politics 
'.  t  inar  the  ])leasure  of  social  intercourse. 

Di".  Linn  had  been  in  the  Senate  some  tim(>  Ix^forc 
any  thing  more  than  the  conunon  civilities  of  life  liad 
taken  phice  between  himself  and  Mr.  Clay.     At  lengtii 


ivt- 


i!  mi 


'  •  li 


? 


84 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


a  young  SOD  of  Mr.  Clay's  came  to  \  isit  liis  father  at 
Washington  City.  A  few  days  after  liis  arrival  he  was 
taken  very  ill,  and  his  life  appeared  in  imminent  danger. 
Many  of  Mr.  Clay's  personal  friends  who  had  r-^'  cived 
medical  aid  from  Dr.  Linn,  m-ged  Mr.  C.  to  send  for 
the  Doctor  to  visit  his  son,  expressing  their  confidence 
in  his  medical  skiU.  Mr  Clay  said  it  Avas  impossible 
for  him  to  ask  snch  a  favor  of  the  Doctor,  as  he  was 
scarcely  ac(piainted  with  him,  and  knew  the  Doctor 
would  receive  no  remuneration  for  his  professional  ser- 
vices. Young  Clay  grew  rapidly  worse,  and  it  was 
thought  he  could  Kve  but  a  few  hours.  His  father, 
overcome  with  anxiety  and  the  entreaties  of  his  friends, 
addressed  a  note  to  Dr.  Linn,  soliciting  him  to  come  as 
"  the  Good  Samaritan,"  and  strive  to  save  the  precious 
life  of  his  son.  The  Doctor  immediately  complied  with 
the  request.  Mr.  Clay  meeting  him  at  the  door  of  the 
sick  room,  his  countenance  expressing  the  deepest 
anguisli,  accosted  Inm  with,  "  I  thank  you  with  all  my 
heart.  Doctor,  for  coming  to  see  my  son,  but  it  is  too 
late ;  I  am  confident  his  hours  on  earth  are  numbered ; 
my  dear  boy  nmst  die."  Dr.  Linn  tried  to  inspire 
hope  in  the  heart  of  the  parent,  and  after  a  close  ex- 
amination of  the  youtli,  who  lay  in  a  lethargic  state 
which  a[)])eared  to  be  the  precursor  of  death,  said, 
'-  Mr.  Clay,  trust  yoiu-  son  to  me  ;  go  to  the  Senate, 
and  should  my  vote  be  wanted  for  Missouri,  send  for 


LIFE    OF    I)R.    LINN. 


85 


[ler  at 
le  was 

•  civcd 
11(1  for 
fideiicc 
)ossiblc 
he  Avas 
Doctor 
nal  ser- 
it  Avas 
father, 
friends, 
come  as 
precious 
id  with 
of  the 
eepest 
all  my 
]  is  too 
nhered ; 
nspire 
ose  ex- 
ile state 
1,  said, 
Senate, 
end  for 


me ;  in  the  meanwhile  I  will  stay  witli  your  son,  using 
every  effort  with  God's  blessing,  to  save  liis  hfe."  In 
an  instant  of  time  Iiow  Avere  the  feehngs  of  these  two 
gentlemen  eliiinged  towards  each  other  !  the  cold  frost 
of  l)arty  feeling  was  swept  off  hy  the  warm  sunshine 
of  th(!  heart's  best  impulses,  and  they  both  felt  how 
much  pleasure  vv'as  in  store  for  them  in  a  future  friendly 
intercourse.  Mr.  Clay  went  to  the  Senate,  leaving  his 
son  ill  charge  of  Dr  Linn,  by  whose  medical  skill  he  was 
once  more  restored  to  health,  and  from  that  time  forth 
the  Doctor  was  the  friend  and  medical  adviser  of  Mr. 
Clay.  The  friendship  of  the  latter  continued  towards 
jiis  family  as  Ion";  as  he  lived. 

A  few  years  previous  to  Mr.  Clay's  death  he  visited 
St.  Louis,  and  the  morning  after  his  arrival,  in  leaving 
his  own  church  he  observed  Mrs.  Linn  returning  from 
hers;  conihig  up  he  accosted  her,  saying,  "  although 
it  was  the  Sabbath  he  covdd  not  refrain  from  inquiring 
after  her  health."  After  entering  her  house  his  eye 
rested  on  the  portn'it  of  Dr.  Linn,  and  he  added,  "  I 
wished  to  talk  to  you  of  the  light  of  other  days,  as 
this  is  the  first  time  we  have  met  since  your  great  be- 
reavement." 

Dr.  Linn's  enthusiastic  devotion  to  Missouri  carried 
him  far  beyond  political  feeling  :  towards  every  son  and 
daughter  of  that  noble  State  he  felt  the  strongest 
fraternal  regard.     He  lived  in  the  utmost  harmony  Avith 


I 


f"'1 


t 


MM 


86 


LIFE    OF    J)H.    LINN. 


his  colleagues  from  his  own  State,  highly  respecting 
Col.  Benton  as  a  great  statesman,  and  feeling  the 
warmest  attachment  for  the  energetic  and  generous 
Gen.  Ashley,  who  had  for  long  years  been  on  the  most 
intimate  terms  of  friendship  with  himself  and  many 
members  of  his  family.  The  unwearied  zeal  with  which 
Gen.  Ashley  served  Missomi  met  a  ready  response  in 
the  ardent  bosom  of  Dr.  Liim ;  they  l)otli  felt  their 
State  pride  much  gratified  in  seeing  it  so  well  repre- 
sented in  oin  national  hahs,  and  also  in  the  salons  oi' 
fashion  by  many  of  the  most  lovely  and  Jittractive 
ladies.  The  charming  and  hitellectual  Mrs.  Ashley 
(now  Mrs.  Crittenden),  the  beautiful  and  attractive 
Mrs.  Col.  Stuart,  and  the  lovely  Mrs.  Decansor,  were 
greatly  admired  by  Dr.  Linn,  as  they  were  universally. 
Like  himself,  in  their  youth  they  had  been  transplanted 
from  their  dear  native  State,  Kentucky,  to  the  State  of 
their  adoption,  Missouri. 

It  gave  Dr.  Linn  great  pleasure  to  meet  in  the  Halls 
of  Congress  his  gallant  youpg  friend,  Geo.  W.  Jones, 
a  delegate  from  ^Visconsin  Territory,  Avho  had  been  his 
devoted  friend  from  his  boyhood,  and  took  great  pleasure 
in  spending  much  of  his  time  with  the  Doctor,  and 
frequently  visiting  his  family,  every  niend)er  of  which 
felt  the  warmest  attachment  for  Gen,  Jones. 

It  Avas  with  a  feeling  of  parental  i)ri(le  and  pleasure 
that  the  Doctor  beheld  the  energy  and  devotion  with 


I 


! 

Ml 

LIFF,    OF    DR.    LINN. 


87 


wliich  ricn.  Jones  served  his  constituents ;  and  it  was 
witli  lively  satisfaction  lie  heard  the  great  Webster  once 
say  to  ]\Irs.  L.,  he  "  thought  her  young  friend  had  done 
more  to  i'id  his  constituents  than  had  been  aceoin- 
plishcd  by  any  other  delegate."  Although  the  general 
had  no  vote  in  Congress  himself,  he  obtained  an  influ- 
ence with  those  who  had  votes,  which  was  of  great 
advantage  to  the  prosperity  of  Wisconsin. 

When  Dr.  Linn  first  entered  the  Senate,  Missouri 
had  Ivut  four  representatives;  two  in  the  Senate,  and 
two  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  There  were  but 
few  newspapers  printed  in  the  State,  and  general  in- 
formation was  very  far  from  being  largely  diffused 
among  its  rnp*  lly  mcreasing  p^jpulution.  To  obviate 
this  want  as  much  as  possible^  and  to  give  pleasure  to 
those  that  had  reposed  so  much  confidence  in  him,  Dr. 
Linn,  on  coming  to  Washington,  sent  a  great  number 
of  newspapers  and  p\d)lic  documents  to  his  constitu- 
ents :  to  ol)tain  their  names  and  places  of  residence, 
application  was  made  to  the  sheriff  of  every  county  in 
the  State,  and  a  list  of  names  being  taken  from  the 
poll-tax  aooks,  the  Doctor  arranged  them  in  a  large 
book,  so  hat  all  of  the  citizens  of  Missom'i  might  receive 
some  papers  from  him  during  the  sessions  of  Congress. 
To  meet  this  expense,  he  appropriated  from  three  to 
five  hundred  dollars  every  session  while  he  served  in 
the  U.  S.  Senate. 


I 

If 


'  jl' 

:! 

■ill 
!  1 

1  1  ■  i  , ,   1 

t  1:  .,.„ 


i 

1    ' 

1 1 

1, 

i 

I 

I 

i 
1 

III 

i 

Ki 

lllii   11 

88 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


Not  satisfied  with  serviiii?  JMissoiiri  in  the  Senate 
with  all  the  energy  of  his  noble  heart,  Dr.  ]jinn  did 
every  thing  in  his  power  to  develope  the  vast  resources 
of  his  State.  While  the  Nortliern  and  Eastern  people 
of  onr  eountry  were  annising  themselves  at  i\\(i  fable 
(as  they  termed  it)  of  an  iroii  mountain  in  Missouri,  he 
had  a  lump  of  iron,  weighing  two  tons,  taken  from  the 
mountain  and  sent  to  Paris,  to  be  sut)mitted  to  the  in- 
s})eeti{)n  of  men  of  science.  They  reported  that  it  was 
the  best  of  iron,  and,  for  many  purjjoses,  far  superior 
to  any  they  had  ever  seen.  In  compliment  to  the 
Doctor,  these  gentlemen  had  a  beautiful  set  of  orna- 
ments made  from  some  of  the  iron,  and  sent  as  a  present 
to  Mrs.  Linn. 

The  pin-e  and  very  white  sand  which  is  found  in 
great  quantities  near  St.  Genevieve,  was  first  taken  to 
Pittsburg  by  the  Doctor  to  be  tried  in  the  Glass  Works 
there,  and  was  found  to  make  the  most  beautiful  glass. 
It  is  now  used  exclusively  in  the  great  manufactories 
of  glass  along  the  Ohio  River. 

As  there  were  constant  new  discoveries  of  precious 
metals  in  the  different  mines  in  the  southern  part  of 
Missouri,  and  the  mode  of  mining  was  in  a  very  im- 
perfect state,  Dr.  Linn  determined  to  visit  the  mines  in 
Europe,  and  bring  home  with  him  men  experienced  in 
mining,  who  could  instruct  our  own  people,  who,  for 
want  of  information  on  the  subject,  had  many  difficul- 


LIFE    01'    1)11.    LTNN. 


89 


tics  to  coiitciul  with,  wliicli  retarded  the  prosperity  of  a 
eoniitry  rich  with  a  great  variety  of  uujtals.  Many  a 
Missoiiriaii  felt  interested  in  the  hiudablc  motive  wiiicHi 
])i'()ni})ted  Dr.  Linn  to  visit  Enrope  ;  and  one  acconi- 
piislied  gentleman,  who  is  not  only  an  lionor  to  the 
American  arniv,  but  whose  pure;  and  patriotic  feelings 
induce  him  to  aid  his  coiuitry  in  every  way  in  his 
power,  was  so  inueli  pleased  with  th(!  Doctor's  design, 
that  (aware  of  his  limited  means)  he  tendered  him 
what  mon(>y  he  coidd  readily  connnand,  and  his  credit 
foi-  any  amount  lie  might  find  necessary  to  carry  out 
his  ])lans  on  a  hu'ge  scale,  as  it  would  be  of  such  great 
u(l\antage  to  Missouri,  This  generous  and  patriotic 
individual  was  Col.  A.  D.  Stewart,  Paymaster  U.  S. 
Army. 

That  the  Doctor  was  an  observant  traveller,  the 
letter  here  published,  addressed  to  liis  wife  from  Lon- 
don, will  abundantly  show ;  .and  it  will  probably  be 
regretted  by  the  reader  that  this  is  the  only  one  from 
his  pen  it  is  in  my  power  to  present ;  others  addressed 
to  his  family  at  various  times  from  Washington,  de- 
scriptive of  men  and  society  in  that  political  centre  of 
this  great  Republic,  of  fashionable  life  as  he  saw  it,  have 
unfortnn.ately  been  lost.  He  was  a  discriminative  ob- 
server of  hur  an  character,  and  a  great  adiuirer  of 
elegant  simjuicily,  unpretending  manners,  and  genuine 
goodness  of  licarl  ;  while  no  one  held  in  greater  dislike 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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23  WIST  MAIK  S'tfST 

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(716)172-4503 


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90 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


i"'"' 


every  thinj];  like  assumption,  hauteur,  pretence,  affecta- 
tion, and  tliat  bad  taste  which  overloads  with  dress  or 
ornament. 

Thougli  eminently  social  in  his  disposition,  gifted 
with  conversational  powers  in  a  high  degree,  and  full 
of  pleasantry  and  anecdote,  which  caused  his  society  to 
be  much  sought,  and  insiu'cd  him  a  warm  and  cordial 
welcome  wherever  he  came,  he  had  little  taste  for  what 
is  termed  fashionable  soticity  in  AV'ashington,  looking 
upon  it  as  ostentatious,  heartless,  chilling,  and  unsatis- 
factory. It  was  in  a  small  circle  of  select  friends,  and 
in  the  bosom  of  his  own  beloved  family,  that  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  dehghted  to  indidge  in  a  free  and  easy 
social  converse,  and  to  give  the  reins  to  his  scintillating 
wit  and  innocent  mirth.  For  fashionable  society  he 
had  no  love  ;  but  for  iiis  friends  the  warmest  affection, 
and  this  was  ardently  reciprocated.  No  one  had 
warmer  friends,  no  one  was  more  truly  esteemed  and 
sincerely  beloved. 

The  incident  mentioned  m  the  following  letter  in 
regard  to  the  purchase  of  a  shawl  for  Mrs.  Linn,  by 
direction  of  one  to  whom  it  had  been  in  the  power  of 
the  Doctor  to  show  kindness  and  render  professional 
sei-vice,  will  illustrate  his  power  of  winning  the  affections 
as  well  as  the  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  was 
brought  in  close  contact,  as  it  was  also  illustrated  in 
the  incident  related  in  regard  to  Mr.  Clay's  son.     The 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


01 


whole  secret  of  this  power  Uiy  '}n  tlie  warm  and  generous 
feehngs  of  his  own  guileless  heart,  the  entire  absence 
of  all  selfishness,  and  that  overflowing  goodness  which 
ever  prompted  him  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  alleviate 
the  sufteriugs  and  j)romot^  the  happiness  of  those  around 
liiin,  thoughtless  of  liiinself.  But  though  in  rendering 
services  to,  and  conferrhig  benefits  upon  others,  self 
never  entered  his  mind,  vet  such  goodness  is  like 
mercy : 

"  It  dropjK'tli,  .IS  the  gentle  rain  from  hcavoii, 
Upon  tlie  pliU'o  beneath :  it  is  twice  blessed  : 
It  blcsseth  him  that  gives,  and  him  that  tiikcs." 

It  is  a  perpetual  sunshine  in  the  heart  that  beams  forth 
tin'ough  the  countenance,  and  gives  it  that  indescribable 
expression  which  nuikes  even  ugly  featiu^es  lovely  and 
attractive. 

The  letter  to  which  I  have  referred  will  show  that 
Dr.  Linn  had  an  eye  for  the  picturesque,  and  all  the 
beauties  of  cultivated  and  of  uncultivated  nature,  as 
well  as  a  pen  of  most  graphic  poAver.  With  the  aid 
of  this  we  shall  find  the  journey  from  Boulogne  to 
Pai'is  one  of  continual  interest  and  pleasure. 

LcNDON,  September  17,  1839. 
My  Beloved  AVife  : 

I  have  written  you  many,  very  many  letters 
since  ray  arrival  ir  England,  and  hope  most  sincerely 


if 

'i 


H 


i.ii 


M  >: 


5:  H 


02 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


that  tlioy  all  may  have  reached  yon,  as  I  flatter  myself 
that  they  would  prove  a  great  source  of  consolation. 
Your  truly  affectionate  and  beautiful  letters,  four  in  num- 
ber, have  proved  a  blessing  to  me,  and  have  been  read 
over  and  over  again,  as  proving  that  I  still  live  fresh  and 
green  in  the  memory  of  my  beloved  wife  and  children ; 
for  to  be  embalmed  in  their  affections,  is  the  height  of 
my  oarthly  wishes  and  hopes. 

I  will  conuiience  where  I  left  off  in  my  longest 
letter.  I  took  lodgings  in  a  boarding-house  kept  by 
an  Englishwoman  on  the  plan  of  an  American  house. 
She  is  short,  thick,  fat,  loquacious,  obsequious  to  those 
above  her,  and  a  tyrant  to  those  below ;  keen,  sarcastic, 
unfeeling  and  avaricious, — these  are  her  principal  vir- 
tues. Her  daughter,  Miss  F ,  is  about  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  above  the  ordinary  stature,  quite  fat, 
or  rather  as  a  Frenchman  woidd  say,  inclined  to  "  on- 
boiipoint,"  with  a  tolerably  handsome  face,  shaded  very 
much  by  a  profusion  of  dark  brown  curls  of  her  own, 
or  borrowed  from  the  dead  or  bought  from  the  living — - 
cannot  say  which — she  plays  well  on  the  piano  and 
harj),  [uid  speaks  the  French  remarkably  well.  She  is 
certainly  an  accomplished  woman,  and  would  she  per- 
mit connnon  sense  to  have  fair  play,  would  be  an  in- 
teresting one.  She  assumes  the  delicate,  sensitive, 
languishing,  lacadaisical  beauty.  Her  tyes  are  usually 
cast  down,  and  have  a  half-sleepy  and  dreamy  expression. 


LIFE    OF   DU.    LINN. 


93 


The  living  was  only  tolerable,  for  which  I  had  to  pay 
$20  per  week,  and  for  candles  and  servants  besides. 
Will  you  believe  it  ?  my  washing  costs  nic  from  $5  to  $7 
per  month.  You  can  get  nothing  done  here  without 
paying  well  for  it,  for  there  seems  to  be  an  organized 
system  of  extortion  upon  strangers  from  one  end  of  the 
island  to  another.  Prices  are  extravagant  for  almost 
every  thing  but  clothing,  and  to  strangers  there  is  veiy 
little  diC'  jence  between  this  and  our  own  country. 

Mr.  Lamb  soon  changed  his  quarters,  and  it  seemed 
from  some  cause  or  other  that  I  should  not  go  with 
him,  for  as  Col.  March  of  St.  Louis  soon  after  arrived 
and  came  to  the  same  house,  I  concluded  to  remain, 
particularly  as  it  was  difficult,  even  in  this  great  city,  to 
better  ourselves.  Hotels  and  eating-houses  arc  abun- 
dant, whilst  boarding-houses  are  few  in  number,  so  that 
vou  are  limited  in  choice. 

There  was  oidy  one  Englishman  in  the  mess — the 
remainder,  perhaps  twenty  in  number,  were  Americans, 
with  and  without  families,  and  among  the  number  was 
a  Mrs.  Hoffman  from  Baltimore.  She  was  a  delicate, 
sickly-looking  little  creature,  with  jet-black  hair,  eye- 
brows just  commingling,  just  dividing ;  nose  straight,  but 
slightly  turned  up  at  the  end,  givhig  a  piquant  expres- 
sion to  the  countenance — mouth  small,  beautifully 
shaped,  and  when  sue  smiled  or  laughed  numy  dimples 
played  about  it — the  lower  lip  slightlg pouting ;  chin 


94 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


I'  ■\,' 


liii: 


small  and  well  turned ;  eyes  large,  black,  brilliant  and 
expressive  ;  skin  not  fair  but  of  ii  mellow,  lustrous  white, 
more  deeply  interesting  to  me  than  red  and  white. 
When  I  first  saw  her  it  was  at  the  breakfast  table ;  her 
head  was  inclined  to  one  shoulder,  when  she  tiu'ued  it 
sliglitly  and  her  eyes  met  mine — and  sueh  a  look  from 
those  lovely  eyes  fringed  with  long,  black,  silken  eyelashes 
as  made  nie  nearly  start  from  my  seat ;  it  seemed  as  if 
my  long-lost  daughter  had  again  returned  to  eju'th;  but 
how  much  grown,  and  how  little  changed  in  face  from 
the  little  girl  we  had  parted  with  !  it  seemed  as  if  the 
dead  had  arisen — my  feelings  can  be  better  imagined 
than  described.  They  stayed  but  a  few  days,  and  as 
sickness  often  confined  her  to  the  room  I  saw  but  little 
of  her,  but  that  little  convinced  me  that  she  was  as 
pure  in  morals  and  mind,  as  she  was  lovely  in  person  ; 
and  though  we  may  never  meet  again,  the  recollection 
of  my  first  view  of  her  beautiful  face  will  [dways  be 
pleasant  and  mournful  to  the  soul. 

You  Avill  doubtless  remember  a  hjmdsome  young 
man  by  the  name  of  Plitt,  of  Pennsylvania,  who,  as 
post-office  agent  visited  our  house  in  St.  Genevieve,  and 
perhaps  called  on  us  in  Washington.  He  married  a 
Miss  Wager  of  Philadelphia,  a  tall,  stout,  well-made 
Dutch  girl,  with  dark  skin,  noble  Roman  features, 
showy  and  dashing  manners,  very  intelligent,  and  a 
heart  beating  with  kindness  and  affection — she  is  an 


t    !i 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


95 


admirable  lady,  and  one  that  you  would  love,  I  found 
them  a  truly  admirable  couple,  and  great  source  of  en- 
joyment to  me  in  this  stranger  land. 

The  next  in  order  for  the  present  was  the  l^obinson 
family  of  New  York,  consisting  of  father,  mother,  and 
daughters.  Mr.  Robinson,  is  a  most  excellent  and 
amiable  gentleman,  who  left  his  own  dear  America  in 
search  of  health  for  himself,  and  i)leasure  for  his  family. 
He  is  about  fifty-six  years  of  age.  Mrs.  R.  was  a 
tall,  graceful,  dignified,  intelligent,  noble-lookhig  lady, 
about  forty-eight  or  fifty  years  of  age.  Slie  was  the  life 
and  soul  of  our  society,  and  her  lively  sallies  of  wit  and 
humor  diffused  warmth  and  sunshine  wherever  she 
went. 

The  eldest  girl  is  dark-skinned  like  her  mother,  but 
has  the  high  features  of  the  father :  she  is  in  stature 
above  the  usual  height,  gracefid  and  easy  in  licr 
manners,  though  they  might  be  considered  by  tlie  world 
a  little  too  cold  and  distant.  Her  eyes  are  very  black, 
and  the  whole  expression  of  her  countenance  pensive 
and  pleasing.  The  second  daughter  is  a  tall,  slender, 
gracefiil,  blue-eyed,  fair-skinned  girl,  of  gay,  sprightly 
manners,  and  cheerful  disposition — always  on  the  wing 
in  search  of  pleasure,  and  always  ready  and  willing  to 
impart  it  to  others  ;  and  pleasure  they  all  had  to  over- 
flowhig,  even  to  satiety  ;  for  IMrs.  Robinson  behig  second 
cousin  to  Sir  George  Rose,  a  distinguished  baronet  and 


i:  -ii 


9C 


LIFE   or   DR.    LINN. 


an  important  member  of  Parliament,  they  were  invited 
to  a  great  many  dinner.s,  balls,  parties,  concerts,  the- 
atres, operas,  &c.,  &c.,  &c. 

They  often  remained  out  at  night  until  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  This  lasted  about  ten  days  after  my 
arrival,  when  one  morning  at  breakfast  Mrs.  Robinson 
complained  of  being  very  sick,  and  leaving  the  table, 
retired  to  her  room.  During  the  fore  part  of  the  day 
I  often  sent  to  know  how  she  was,  and  her  daughters 
uniformly  answered  to  these  incpiiries  that  their  mother 
was  quite  sick.  I  repeatedly  oiFered  my  services ;  they 
were  gently  but  firmly  declined,  and  even  an  admission 
into  her  room  to  sec  how  she  was.  In  the  course  of 
the  day  I  often  met  Mrs.  Plitt,  who-unifonnly  ex^Dressed 
great  imeasiness  for  Mrs.  Robinson.  Still  she  would 
neither  se(^  me  nor  send  for  another  physician. 

On  pressing  Mrs.  Plitt  to  know  what  wsis  the  matter 
with  Mrs.  R  ,  she  informed  me  that  it  was  almost  in- 
cessant vomiting.  Just  after  supper  I  told  one  of  the 
girls  that  although  her  mother  had  persisted  in  refusing 
my  services,  I  was  determined  to  see  her,  even  if  I  had 
to  enter  her  room  contraiy  to  her  wishes.  She  smiled 
at  my  earnestness,  but  whilst  at  tea  she  came  and  in- 
formed me  tlijit  her  mother  was  not  only  willing,  but 
anxious  to  see  me  then,  as  she  felt  herself  much  worse. 
I  found  her  laboring  under  the  second  stage  of  cholera. 
I  prescribed  the  usual  remedies,  and  most  earnestly 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


97 


requested  to  be  sent  for  in  the  night,  in  the  event  of 
the  medicines  producing  no  sahitary  effect.  This  was 
not  done,  for  fear  of  giving  trouble  to  me  as  a  stranger 
upon  whom  they  had  no  chiinis  whatever.  In  the  morn- 
ing at  nine  o'clock  I  found  her  decidedly  worse.  I  then 
informed  Mr.  Robinson  of  her  critical  situation,  and 
desired  that  he  would  call  in  other  medical  aid ;  not 
that  I  had  any  difficulty  in  the  treatment  of  her  case  ; 
but  that,  being  out  of  regular  practice,  I  wished  to  avoid 
so  responsible  a  trust ;  and,  moreover,  if  the  attack 
should  end  isitally,  the  family  and  friends  would  have 
good  reason  to  congratulate  themselves  upon  the  reflec- 
tion, melancholy  as  it  was,  that  they  had  done  all  they 
could  do  to  avert  the  arrow  of  the  Grim  Tyrant.  He 
called  in  considtation  Sir  James  Andei*son,  who  coin- 
cided with  me  in  opinion  that  she  was  in  decided 
danger.  Our  efforts  for  forty -eight  hom*s  were  vigorous 
and  unceasing,  but  alas !  unavailing.  She  died  in  the 
arms  of  her  beloved  husband,  children  and  brother, 
and  surrounded  by  a  few  friends  from  her  native,  but 
far  distant  country.  And  such  a  death — so  triumph- 
antly Christian  !  so  calm,  so  self-possessed,  that  I  would 
give  all  the  glory  and  wealth  of  this  world,  if  in  my 
j)ower,  to  die  as  she  died.  Such  thrilling  advice  and 
admonition  to  husband,  daughters  and  brother, — such 
heart-rending  adieus  I  never  heard  in  all  this  checkered 
life  of  mine,  so  full  of  melancholy  and  sorrowful  le- 


•; 

Hi 

.1''  fl 

:'  1  1 

m  H  ■ ! ;  ■ 

^I'i 

ti, 

i 

:  !       ■ 

L 

98 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


collections.  She  bade  a  most  affectionate  farewell  to 
Mrs.  Plitt,  and,  indeed,  to  all  who  had  been  near  her 
person  during  her  sickness ;  and  when  she  called  me 
to  her  bedside  I  sunk  upon  my  knees,  her  glazed  and 
sunken  eyes  were  turned  upon  me,  with  her  clay-cold 
hand  in  mine ;  she  said  she  hoped  that  God  woidd 
guard,  guide,  and  keep  near  Him  me  and  mine,  for 
my  kindness  and  attention  to  her  in  that,  her  last  hour 
of  life,  suffering  and  trial.  She  prayed  earnestly  for 
forgiveness  for  past  sins,  and  felt  a  lively  and  cheering 
conviction  that  they  would  be  forgiven  through  the  blood 
and  intercession  of  Our  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
My  heart  felt  much  too  big  for  my  body,  and  many 

the  tears  shed  by  me  on  this  melancholy  occasion. 

^ne  was  placed  in  a  leaden  coffin  enclosed  in  one  of 
wood,  and  on  the  second  day  after  her  death  conveyed 
to  Kensall  Cemetery,  about  three  miles  from  London, 
on  the  road  to  Windsor  Castle.  Your  imagination, 
my  beloved  wife,  can  scarcely  picture  to  itself  so  sweet 
a  spot,  devoted  to  so  sad  a  purpose — it  is  just  out  of 
the  great  Babel — ^just  out  of  the  verge  of  its  sins  and 
son'ows,  and  seems  on  the  borders  of  the  spirit-land. 
It  contains  about  fifty  or  sixty  acres  of  ground,  enclosed 
by  a  high  brick  wall,  immediately  within  which  is  a 
beautiful  green  hawthorn  hedge.  The  whole  lot  is  laid 
out  in  little  plantations  already  occupied,  or  to  be  occu- 
pied by  the  last  remains  of  poor  mortality,  until  the 


LIFE    OF    DR.  LINN. 


99 


angel  of  God  shall  sound  his  trump  from  on  hiph,  to 
call  up  by  its  thunders  the  quick  and  dead  to  stand 
before  the  everlasting  throne.  Around  cnchfourhs/iin^ 
plantation  is  a  row  of  tombstones  marking  the  ivho  and 
the  when.  Between  each  toMd)stone  are  planted  flowers, 
evergreens  and  rose-bushes — in  every  spot  where  grass 
grows  it  is  cut  down  close  to  the  earth — fit  emblem  of 
man's  frail  and  mortal  condition.  The  roads  through- 
out the  grounds  are  broad  and  neatly  gravelled,  and  at 
regular  distances  the  mournful  cypress  and  other  ever- 
greens are  planted,  alternately  with  rose-bushes  and 
other  flowering  shrubs  ;  whilst  at  their  feet  bloom  every 
variety  of  beautifiU  flower  that  Tlora  can  offer  to  man. 
In  the  midst  of  all  this  display,  which  seems  intended 
to  take  as  much  as  possible  from  the  horrors  of  the 
tomb,  stands  a  neat,  beautiful  little  chapel,  of  the 
Church  of  England,  but  at  which  ministers  of  other 
flenominations  officiate  on  such  occasions. 

Into  this  the  body  of  Mrs.  R.  was  conveyed  on  a 
dark,  damp,  gloomy  English  day,  and  set  down  half 
way  between  the  door  and  altar.  She  was  of  the 
Anglican  Church,  consequently  the  officiating  minister 
was  of  that  persuasion.  He  read  in  a  deep,  solemn, 
and  impressive  voice,  the  service  for  the  dead,  which 
was  responded  to  by  the  clerk  ;  and  now  and  then  the 
trembling  voice  of  a  mourner  might  be  heard  mingUng 
in  the  service,  and  echoed  by  the  lofty  walls  and  arches 


m 


100 


LIFE    OF    I)R.    LINN. 


fM;!:  ' 


\^-i^  V- 


i  \ 


of  the  bnildiiig.  When  the  senice  was  near  the  close, 
tlie  coffin  was  seen  to  move  l)y  an  invisible  hdiui,  and 
sink  through  the  floor  gradually  and  slowly.  When  it 
had  nearly  disappeared,  the  melancholy  sounds  were 
heard  which  stnick  a  cold  damp  to  the  heart  of  each 
sorrowing  friend,  "dust  to  dust,"  and  dust  was  scattered 
upon  the  coffin  as  it  departed  from  our  sight  and  sunk 
into  the  damp  vaults  below,  there  to  remain  until  taken 
from  thence,  to  be  conveyed,  according  to  her  own  re- 
quest, to  her  beloved  America.  A  few  days  after  the 
interment,  Mr.  Robinson  came  to  my  room  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  and  remarked  that  he  had  seen  enough  of 
me  to  know  that  he  could  not  hope  that  I  would  accept 
any  pecuniary  compensation  for  my  attentions  to  his 
wife,  but  he  thanked  me  in  the  most  kind  and  feeling 
terms  for  those  attentions,  and  left  my  room  for  the 
country  with  his  daughters,  after  a  warm  shake  of  the 
hand,  and  with  professions  of  sincere  regard. 

After  my  pamphlet  was  finished  with  the  map, 
having  some  leisure,  I  took  a  flying  trip  to  Paris,  the 
great  seat  of  learning,  science,  and  art.  Mr.  Plitt, 
wife  and  self,  left  London  Bridge  in  the  steamship 
Magnet  for  Boulogne  in  France.  We  had  literally  to 
weave  our  way  through  a  forest  of  masts,  or  rather 
through  a  vast  crowd  of  ships  and  watercraft  of  every 
size,  sort,  and  description.  We  passed  the  Royal 
Docks  of  Deptford,  Greenwich,  Gravesend,  Sheemess, 


LIF£   OF   DR.    LINN. 


101 


the  Nore,  and  tuniing  the  j)()int  to  tlie  south,  on  which 
stands  a  very  lofty  lighthouse,  whose  bright  blaze  is 
thrown  fnr  away  upon  the  wide  and  stormy  deep,  to 
cheer  the  heart  of  the  sailor  when  tempest-tost  and 
seeking  a  safe  haven  for  his  little  bark,  we  came 
broad  out  into  the  English  Channel — night  came  on, 
and  as  we  passed  along  the  coast,  the  lights  of  Rams- 
gate,  Margate,  and  the  celebrated  Dover,  becamn  visible 
along  the  English  side,  and  Calais  and  Boulogne  on  the 
French. 

We  continued  our  course  until  twelve  o'clock  at 
night,  when  we  entered  the  harbor  of  Boulogne  at 
high  tide.  Our  trunks  were  immediately  taken  pos- 
session of  by  the  custom-house  ofHcers,  whilst,  after 
examining  our  passports,  we  were  permitted  to  go  to 
our  hotel.  Morning  came  with  slow  and  measured 
steps  to  me  after  passing  a  sleepless  night,  and  looking 
out,  I  found  the  harbor  perfectly  free  from  water,  and 
all  the  shipping  sticking  bolt  upright  in  the  mud.  I 
had  forgotten  that  this  harbor  is  made  by  the  rise  of 
the  tide,  which  is  very  great  at  this  point,  and  unmade 
by  its  retirement.  After  breakfast  we  took  our  de- 
parture in  the  cumbrous  French  diUgence,  and  began 
our  journey  over  the  vine-covered  hills  and  gay  regions 
of  France.  A  diligence,  my  dear  Libby,  is  about  three 
times  as  large  as  our  stage  coaches,  and  is  divided 
into  three  compartments ;  and  so  lofty  is  it,  that  a 


rr-;ri>  M.  V/.  Kir^frv-^v  Dipt 
p  R  o  V'  1  r  vj ''.: :  /  ..  library 

VICTORIA,  B.  C. 


U    1 


I      'i 


1^ 


102 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


ladder  is  used  on  which  to  mount  on  the  top — ^the 
whole  will  contain  fifteen  or  twenty  persons. 

We  travelled  day  and  night  over  this  beautiful  land  ; 
but  still  I  find  many  objections  to  the  country  on  the 
route  from  Boulogne  to  Paris — there  is  too  great  a 
scarcity  of  villages,  towns  and  country-seats — and  when 
you  do  find  the  latter,  they  are  generally  much  out  of 
order,  and  in  the  construction  of  the  mansion  house, 
and  in  the  arrangement  of  the  grounds,  a  want  of  taste 
is  very  manifest ;  indeed,  it  was  only  m  dense  forests 
which  were  like  oases  in  a  desert,  whose  umbrageous 
shade  was  too  thick  for  even  a  straggling  sunbeam  to 
enter,  that  you  found  these  manor-houses  at  all.  As 
to  the  villages  and  towns,  they  all  presented  a  most 
antiquated  and  worn-out  appearance.  Our  own  St. 
Genevieve  is  a  perfect  beauty  to  any  of  them,  I  assure 
you ;  and  blessings  on  its  simple  and  venerable  head ; 
the  seat  to  me  of  youth's  early  and  romantic  dreams, 
of  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  manhood's  maturer  years, 
and  holding  at  present  all  that  my  heart  holds  dear ; 
wife,  children  and  friends.  Yes !  it  is  a  perfect  beauty 
spot  to  me,  and  although  I  may  travel  to  the  uttermost 
ends  of  the  earth,  tread  the  palaces  of  kings,  and  stand 
unawed  in  the  presence  of  princes,  my  heart  will  turn 
with  fond  affection  to  the  home  of  my  youth,  and  to 
the  land  that  has  so  lavishly  heaped  honors  upon  me. 

The  large  towns  were  Montreuil  and  Abbeville,  both 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


103 


walled  and  strongly  fortified;  but  on  entering  their 
gates  the  same  marks  of  age  and  decrepitude  appear ; 
narrow,  diity  streets,  crumbling  walls  and  dilapidated 
ruins  ;  but  still  much  of  animation  is  seen,  and  the 
music  and  dance  of  our  French  friends  of  St.  Genevieve 
are  almost  seen  and  heard,  for  it  was  a  festival  day  when 
we  passed  through,  and  all  the  young  girls  were  dressed 
in  white  and  walked  the  streets  bareheaded,  whilst  the 
old  folks  had  caps  or  blue  handkerchiefs  on  theirs. 

We  passed  Abbeville  at  nine  o'clock  at  night,  and 
not  long  after  came  upon  the  ground  where  was  fought 
the  celebrated  battle  of  Cressy.  Ages  seemed  to  roll 
back  to  the  period  when  this  spot  was  the  scene  of  a 
fierce  and  bloody  conflict  between  nations  hostile  to 
each  other  almost  from  their  origin.  The  shouts  of 
victory  are  no  longer  heard,  even  to  the  ear  of  imagina- 
tion, the  shock  of  contending  armies  no  longer  seen, 
and  nothing  is  left  to  tell  the  fate  of  the  mighty  dead 
but  a  few  lines  of  history.  As  we  passed  along  through 
the  woods  of  Cressy  the  cold  night  winds  swei)t  mourn- 
fully through  its  venerable  trees,  resembling  the  fitful 
moans  of  departing  spirits.  Morning  came,  and  the 
sun  rose  in  beauty  OAcr  the  plains  all  glittering  with 
dew ;  and  his  roseate  beams  were  shed  over  tower  and 
tree  in  glorious  eff'ulgence.  This  gave  us  an  opportunity 
to  examint;  the  country  with  an  incjuisitive  eye — here 
and  there  a  small  hamlet  rising  out  of  a  clump  of  tall 


104 


LIFE   OF    DR     LINN. 


1;  sj' 


\ifi 


ll'  t' 


and  graceful  trees  ;  or  now  and  then  a  more  consider- 
able village,  partially  hid  by  orchards,  might  be  seen, 
and  close  by  a  huge  windmill,  whose  enormous  wings 
and  arms  are  waving  in  endless  rotation  in  the  air. 
Almost  every  hill  or  eminence  in  France  is  crowned 
with  one  or  more  of  these  mills. 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  reached 
Beauvais,  a  large  town,  from  which  emigrated  the  an- 
cestors of  our  friends,  the  St.  Genevievans.  On  the 
approach  to  the  place,  its  venerable,  stately,  and  truly 
noble-looking  Gothic  cathedral  first  rose  to  view.  Time 
with  his  effacing  fingers  has  been  at  work ;  as  yet  he 
has  only  touched,  not  destroyed.  I  believe  this  church 
is  the  work  of  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  century,  and 
Beauvais  is  celebrated  in  history  for  one  of  the  most 
affecting  incidents  ever  recorded :  it  was  besieged  by 
a  hostile  army,  and  reduced  to  the  last  extremity; 
quarter  was  refused  to  the  men,  but  leave  given  to  the 
women  to  leave  the  town  with  as  nuich  as  they  could 
carry  on  their  backs  of  their  most  valuable  effects. 
Accordingly  they  were  seen  issuing  from  the  gates  of 
the  town  with  their  fathers,  husbands  and  lovers  on  their 
backs.  IMic  church  is  one  of  the  finest  memorials  of 
the  age  in  which  it  was  built  now  extant,  and  presents 
a  grand  and  imposing  appearance — ^but  here  again  we 
have  narrow,  crooked,  and  dirty  streets,  with  crumbling 
walls   and   decaved  columns ;   sad  remembrances  of 


#,'; 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


105 


better  days.  We  passed  along  these  streets  until  the 
diligence  stopped  at  apparently  a  decayed  tavern,  which 
no  one  under  heaven — no,  not  even  a  Yankee,  could 
guess  capable  of  furnishing  a  breakfast  for  so  many 
hungry  and  half-famished  travellers ;  and  yet  it  did : 
and  one  of  the  very  best — first-rate  coffee,  bread  and 
butter,  stewed  and  fried  chickens,  fresh  pork  and 
broiled  ham,  boiled  and  fried  eggs,  excellent  soup,  and, 
indeed,  evoiy  thing  that  could  satisfy  the  appetite  of  a 
famished  traveller.  "  Well  done,  Beauvais,"  cried  I ; 
"  my  ft'iends  of  St.  Genevieve  preserve  their  love  of 
good  living,  which  doubtless  their  family  acquired 
whilst  residing  here" — ^but  stop — on  looking  out  of  the 
window,  many  signs  over  doors  caught  my  eye  on  which 
were  written  J.  B.  Beauvais,  "  marchand,"  or  Bciuivais 
"Tient  Auberge  ici,"  or  A.  Beauvais,  "  Forgeron" — Ma 
parole,  c'est  vrai. 

We  left  Beauvais  in  the  finest  humor,  and  as  we 
slowly  ascended  the  hill  that  overlooks  the  town  I 
showered  praises  on  it,  on  account  of  its  name  and  the 
excellent  cheer  it  had  afforded  us.  It  has  perhaps  a 
population  of  five  thousaiul  soids,  and  the  country 
around  fertile,  weH  cultivated,  and  presented  us  with 
the  first  vineyard  we  had  seen  in  France.  We  moved 
on  slowly,  and  in  the  course  of  the  day  passed  many 
such  venerable-looking  towns  and  villages,  and  in  the 
evening   arrived  at  Paris,  and   put  up  at  the  Hotel 


106 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


51"=  ! 


■'rtfi- 


i! 


Meurice,  Rue  Rivoli,  near  the  Palace  of  the  Tuile- 
ries. 

Paris  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  Seine,  in  a  lovely 
valley,  overlooked  by  several  heights,  in  the  distance, 
such  as  Montmartre,  and  Mont  St.  Louis,  on  which 
is  situated  the  celebrated  burying-ground  of  Pere  la 
Chaise,  where  repose  in  eternal  silence  some  of  the  most 
stupendous  intellects  that  ever  adorned  the  globe. 
The  pensive  man,  as  he  wanders  through  these  death 
paths,  will  experience  sensations  of  melancholy  mingled 
with  delight,  for  here  death  seems  to  have  existence 
in  the  quiet,  and  the  perfume,  and  the  beauty  of  nature. 
The  sad  cypress  hangs  oyer  the  passer-by,  but  roses 
and  ^  iolets  are  at  his  feet ;  the  monumental  urn  is 
before  his  eyes,  but  it  is  relieved  by  a  thousand  beautiful 
objects,  in  which  art  and  affection  have  combined  to 
hon^r  the  memory  and  decorate  the  mansions  of  the 
dead.  -The  lustres  of  centuries  have  burned  out,  but 
their  light  still  seems  to  stream  through  the  mind. 
Here,  as  he  wanders  through  the  tombs,  filled  with  a 
holy  fervor  before  those  which  contain  the  ashes  of  the 
good,  and  over  v'hich  myrtles  and  jessamines,  planted 
by  a  sorrowing  wife  or  pious  child,  spread  their  rich 
fragrance  ;  or  cums  with  pity  for  poor  humanity  from 
those  pompous  mansions  of  dust,  in  which  lie  the  re- 
mains of  men  to  whom  wealth  and  power  alone  gave 
distinction  in  life,  and  procured  for  them  a  gilded  sep- 


!":■   It; 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


107 


ulchre  and  a  lyinff  monumental  history,  he  stops  before 
the  plain  wooden  tablet  where  the  only  sign  of  funereal 
greatness  is  the  gilded  cross  ;  but  around  which  shrubs 
are  smiling  and  flowers  are  bursting  forth,  whilst  a  sister, 
daughter  or  wife,  may  be  seen  sending  forth  a  silent 
prayer  to  the  ever-living  God,  to  be  merciful  to  the 
living  and  to  the  dead.  Excuse  me,  dear  wife,  for  thus 
often  introducing  you  to  the  mansions  of  the  dead ; 
but  if  God  in  his  mercies  will  spare  me,  my  children 
shall  have  a  tomb  worthy  of  their  beauty  and  angelic 
natures.  Morning  comes,  and  they  are  present  to  my 
mind,  and  as  sleep  falls  upon  me  in  the  silent  watches 
of  the  night,  their  visions  pass  before  me  as  the  images 
in  a  magic  lantern. 

But  to  go  back  a  little — the  country  from  Boulogne 
to  Paris  is  gently  rolling,  but  strangely  destitute  of 
houses,  villages,  and  even  trees,  at  least  along  the  route ; 
and  as  you  see  no  fences  or  hedges,  it  strongly  reminded 
me  of  my  own  dear  prairies  adorned  Avith  their  islands, 
clumps,  and  islets  of  trees.  But  still  every  inch  of 
ground  is  highly  cultivated,  and  the  traveller  is  con- 
stantly asking  himself  the  question,  where  do  the  people 
come  from  that  perform  all  this  labor  ?  The  secret  is 
they  ret-ide  in  little  villages  off"  from  the  roadside,  and 
go  to  their  work  like  our  good  people  in  their  big  field. 
Occasionally  we  met  a  wagon  or  cart,  in  structme  ex- 
actly like  those  of  Vide  Poclie,  and  as  to  the  plough 


108 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


ii  "''^' '■ 


iri'i 


and  harness,  they  are  exactly  the  same — even  the  names 
of  their  horses  are  ahke,  and  you  will  hear  them  calling 
to  "  Dauphin  and  Libertin,"  to  quicken  their  step. 

As  I  had  but  a  few  days  to  stay  in  Paris,  they  were 
devoted  to  the  paintings  and  statuary  in  the  Louvre 
and  Luxembourg,  Jardin  des  Plantes,  Hospital  of  the 
Invalides,  Pantheon,  Notre  Dame,  which  is  a  vast  and 
venerable  Gothic  pilr^  the  palaces  of  St.  Cloud  and  the 
glories  of  Versailles — tho  magnificence  of  which  sur- 
passed all  that  my  imagination  had  conceived  or  pictured 
of  oriental  gorgeousness  and  splendor.  In  my  opinion, 
it  stands  alo?/e  and  unrivalled ;  and  may  it  always  so 
stand,  whilst  palaces  are  built  by  money  wiung  from 
the  sweat  of  the  people's  brows. 

The  day  after  our  arrival,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plitt  urged 
me  to  go  with  them  to  a  celebrated  shawl  merchant's, 
to  aid  in  the  selection  of  those  elegant  Prench  shawls 
so  much  like  the  cashmere  and  almost  as  costly.  She 
insisted  on  my  making  the  choice,  which  I  reluctantly 
did  at  250  francs.  On  our  return  in  the  carriage  shi^ 
placed  it  in  my  hands,  as  a  present  to  you  from  Mr. 
Robinson,  with  the  letter  from  him  to  me,  and  which  is 
sent  with  this.  It  would  be  difficult  to  portray  my 
feelings  at  such  delicacy  of  gratitude,  as  it  was  entirely 
unlooked-for. 

Occasionally  I  attended  to  the  debates  in  the  House 
of  Lords  during  the  sitting  of  Parliament — ^but  ghosts 


It  f  r 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


109 


of  Chatham,  Burke,  Fox  and  Pitt,  what  speaking  !  If 
the  characters  of  these  great  men  for  eloquence  could 
be  torn  up  and  divided  among  the  speakers  I  heard  in 
Parliament,  broad  as  their  mantles  were,  there  would 
not  be  enough  to  hide  the  nakedness  of  their  successoi-s. 
Such  stammering,  repetition,  and  unfitness  I  never 
heard.  Bad  as  the  nonsense  was,  it  was  rendered  in- 
finitely worse  by  llie  delivery ;  and  such  speaking  I 
assure  you  would  soon  deliver  both  Houses  of  Congress 
or  any  of  our  Legislatures. 

I  arrived  here  after  the  last  drawing-room,  and 
consequently  could  not  be  presented  to  the  queen. 
But  at  all  events  I  could  not,  or  would  not  go  to  the 
expense  of  several  hundred  dollars  to  purchase  a  court 
dress,  and  I  am  rather  too  proud  to  hire  one,  which  was 
sometimes  the  case  here  this  season.  Webster,  I  am 
told,  went  to  the  expense  of  a  new  suit.  I  have  occa- 
sionally seen  the  queen  on  several  public  days,  and 
think  her  rather  pleasing  in  her  appearance,  and  very 
much  like  Antoinette  Roy,  raised  by  old  Madame  Le- 
compte,  though  Antoinette  is  much  the  best  looking  of 
the  two. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  to  you  the  splendor, 
riches  and  beauty,  of  this  great  commercial  metropolis 
of  the  world.  The  concentrated  riches  of  the  globe 
seem  to  be  here — spacious  parks  dressed  in  the  deepest 
green,  and  divided  into  beautiful  parterres,  rendered 


ta 


I 


i 


t^'f? 


nw> 


i  if! 


It  - 


m 


ft 

ft 


110 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


lovely  as  the  eye  could  desire  by  evergreens  and  flowers 
— every  where  over  the  city  open  squares  have  been 
left,  surrounded  by  elegant  iron  railings,  and  planted 
with  shrubbery,  where  groups  of  children  may  be  seen 
at  play — 'these  add  greatly  to  the  health  and  beauty  of 
this  noble  city.  Paris  excels  in  its  paintings,  palaces 
and  public  buildings,  London  in  every  thing  else. 

Since  my  arrival,  money  aflairs  here  have  been  in 
the  worst  possible  condition — men  looked  into  each 
others'  faces  with  suspicion,  and  turned  with  disgust 
from  every  proposition  relating  to  American  property 
and  security,  and  the  recent  protest  in  Paris  of  a  million 
and  a  half  of  drafts  drawn  by  the  Bank  of  the  United 
States,  I  fear  will  give  the  finishing  blow  to  every  thing 
American.  Mr.  Lamb  and  myself  have  done  every 
thing  that  could  be  done  to  insure  success,  but  I  fear 
the  result.  We  will  continue  our  efforts  up  to  the  last 
moment. 

I  will  return  to  Missouri  to  attend  to  my  private 
affairs,  as  you  suggest  in  your  letter  of  the  3d  of 
August  (your  last),  and  to  take  you  on  to  Washington, 
and  accordingly  make  your  arrangements.  I  think  I 
will  place  my  boy  at  the  college  near  St.  Louis.  Should 
I  not  succeed  in  getting  money  I  shall  be  dreadfully  ha- 
rassed, but  in  no  event  will  we  be  separated  this  winter. 


« 


* 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


Ill 


Present  me  to  all  my  old  friends— love  to  my  chU- 
dren,  and  blessings  upon  your  head. 

Yours  affectionately, 

Mrs.  E.  a.  Linn.  ^  ^  ^'^''- 


ill 


\l 


'<} 


'I 


^■i 


Jji 

n!^'^ 

1^:;       .. 

,':;» 


■5 


•li:  ', 


CHAPTER    V. 

From  childhood  Dr.  Linn  had  serious  feelings  on  the 
subject  of  religion  ;  he  daily  read  portions  of  the  Bible, 
and  took  the  most  lively  pleasiu-e  in  having  clergymen 
of  every  religious  denomination  make  his  house  their 
home  whenever  they  visited  St.  Genevieve;  and  in 
particular  those  self-sacrificing  pioneers  of  religion,  the 
Methodist  clergy,  who  endured  every  sort  of  ]irivation 
and  suffering  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  inhabitants 
scattered  along  the  frontiers  of  our  Western  country. 
Those  pure  and  holy  men  cheerfully  did  so  nmch  for 
the  cause  of  our  Blessed  Redeemer,  desiring  nothing  for 
themselves,  that  Dr.  Linn  and  every  member  of  his 
family  deemed  it  a  blessed  and  most  delightful  priv- 
ilege to  entertain  them.  The  Doctor,  felt  a  decided 
preferenc*^  for  the  Methodist  Church,  and  united  himself 
to  it  on  the  5th  day  of  April,  1839,  at  Wesley  Chapel, 
in  the  City  of  Washington. 

The  winter  previous  he  had  been  a  constant  attend- 


IMii' 


LIFE    OF    DU,    LINN. 


113 


ant  oil  the  ministry  of  tlmt  good  man,  the  eminently 
pious  Mr.  George  Cookman,  then  chaplain  to  Congress, 
with  whom  he  formed  a  warm  personal  friendship  which 
was  so  soon  to  terminate  painfully  in  the  loss  of  the 
latter,  who  was  a  passenger  on  board  the  ill-fated 
steamer  President. 

In  March,  1843,  on  his  return  home  from  Wash- 
ington Dr.  Linn,  with  his  usual  considerate  kindness 
to  others,  relinquished  a  very  comfortable  state-room 
that  had  been  engaged  for  him  in  a  steamer,  to  an  old 
gentleman  who  was  in  bad  health,  and  took  a  room 
near  the  wheel-house  which  was  very  damp.  In  con- 
sequence of  this,  the  Doctor  took  a  violent  cold  :  he, 
however,  resisted  all  entreaties  to  take  medicine,  when 
he  reached  home,  feeling  confident  he  would  soon  be 
well.  But  in  a  few  days  he  became  very  ill,  and  con- 
tinued so  for  tw^o  weeks  :  he  at  that  time  informed  his 
wife  and  children  that  he  believed  it  impossible  for  him 
to  live.  This  mournful  presentiment  was  confirmed 
by  both  the  attending  physicians,  and  they  frankly  told 
the  Doctor  that  they  feared  he  had  but  a  few  hours  to 
live. 

He  received  this  information  with  great  calmness, 
and  with  the  deepest  tenderness  bid  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren farewell,  praying  that  they  would  meet  him  in 
Heaven.  With  hearts  overwhelmed  and  ready  to  burst 
with  agony,  his  wife  and  children  clasped  the  hands  of 
8 


m 


114 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


i3i  *'■■ 


their  dearest  friend,  when  he  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  My 
sight  is  failing,  my  beloved  wife,  my  darling  children,  I 
cannot  sec  you."  Mrs.  Linn  implored  to  know  of  the 
physicians  if  they  had  done  all  they  could  for  the  Doc- 
tor, they  assured  her  they  had  ;  "  Then,"  she  exclaimed, 
"  I  will  do  for  him  that  which  I  have  seen  him  do  for 
others,"  and  innuediatcly  ordered  a  quantity  of  turpen- 
tine to  be  heated,  into  which  she  dipped  flannel,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  others,  connnenced  rubbing  her 
husband's  body  so  as  to  give  him  a  bath  of  turpentine 
with  much  friction.  In  a  few  moments  a  profuse  per- 
spiration overspread  his  forehead,  and  he  cried  out, 
"  My  dear  wife  and  children,  I  again  see  you.  I  am 
better,  but  greatly  exhausted."  He  immediately 
dropped  into  a  sweet  sleep  which  continued  for  three 
hours  and  then  awoke  free  from  all  pain.  He  requested 
his  friends  to  retire  to  rest  and  leave  him  alone  with 
his  wife.  Left  together,  they  held  such  a  sweet  and 
holy  conversation  that  the  recollection  of  it  will  be  a 
consolation  to  the  lone  widow's  heart  to  the  latest  hour 
of  her  existence.  Mrs.  Linn,  fearing  that  talking  too 
much  might  injure  her  husband,  besought  hhn  to  try 
and  compose  himself  and  strive  to  rest ;  she  drew  her 
chair  near  his  bed,  and  placing  her  head  on  the  pillow 
which  supported  his,  holding  one  of  his  hands,  said, 
"  Let  us  both  try  to  sleep,  for  my  anxiety  about  you 
has  been  too  great  to  pennit  me  to  take  any  rest  for 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


115 


some  time ;  but  now,  thank  God,  you  nro  safe  and  I 
can  sleep  peacefully."  They  both  sank  into  a  deep 
slumber  which  continued  a  length  of  time,  when  the 
Doctor  awoke  with  a  violent  start  and  exclaimed,  "  Dear 
wife,  did  you  hear  that  ?  " 

She  assured  him  she  had  not  heard  anv  thing,  and 
that  all  was  quiet  about  them.  "  You  are  under  a 
great  mistake,"  he  replied,  "  for  I  heard  distinctly  a 
voice  say.  Prepare,  Lemia  F.  Linn,  for  this  year  thy 
soul  shall  be  required  of  thee."  Mrs.  Linn  tried  to  con- 
vince her  husband  that  he  had  been  dreaming  ;  but  he 
insisted  that  it  was  not  so,  for  the  voice  he  heard  was 
so  loud  as  to  awake  him  from  a  deep  sleep.  He  re- 
quested her  to  look  at  her  watch  and  see  what  hour  it 
was,  then  to  take  his  day-book  and  write  in  it  the 
time  and  day  of  the  month,  for  she  would  find  before 
that  time  twelvemonths  she  would  be  a  mourning  widow. 

To  gratify  the  Doctor,  she  did  as  he  desired ;  it 
was  half-past  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  28th 
of  April,  1843. 

.  He  then  requested  her  to  summon  all  their  family, 
and  two  visitors  then  staying  with  them,  to  his  room, 
and  especially  to  call  her  mother  and  send  for  Dr.  Sar- 
gent. When  all  these  friends  were  assembled  around 
him,  Dr.  Linn  told  them  what  he  had  heard,  and  ex- 
pressed his  finn  conviction  that  his  life  would  terminate 
before  the  expiration  of  that  year. 


U 


4    ' 


.1- ;  .' 


116 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


His  manner  was  so  calm  and  solemn  when  he  gave 
his  friends  this  information,  that  not  one  of  them  ven- 
tured to  try  and  convince  him  that  he  had  ])ecn  dis- 
turbed by  a  painful  dream,  though  such  was  their  be- 
hef.  He  requested  his  friends  to  unite  with  him  in 
prayer,  and  in  a  most  powerfiU  and  thrilhngmanaer  he 
implored  our  Heavenly  Father  to  have  mercy  on  him, 
and  in  the  blessed  Redeemer's  name  to  give  him 
strength  to  prepare  for  eternity. 

He  expressed  his  belief  that  his  severe  illness  had 
greatly  increased  the  disease  of  his  heart,  and  that  he 
was  liable  to  be  called  to  depart  at  any  time,  without  a 
moment's  warning.  He  recovered  his  usual  health  in 
a  little  time,  but  still  retained  the  impression  that  he 
should  die  soon,  and  commenced  arranging  his  world- 
ly affairs.  He  made  many  improvements  on  his  place, 
and  when  his  friends  expressed  their  pleasure  in  seeing 
him  do  so  (as  it  was  an  evidence  that  he  did  not  intend 
to  leave  them  to  move  to  St.  Louis,  as  they  had  long 
feared),  the  Doctor  would  smile  sadly,  and  remark,  that 
he  was  striving  to  make  his  home  comfortable  for  his 
wife  and  children,  for  he  knew  that  he  would  soon  be 
taken  from  them.  All  who  heard  him  make  this  ob- 
servation listened  with  incredulous  astonishment,  as 
they  saw  him,  to  all  appearance,  in  most  perfect  health  ; 
but  his  medical  knowledge  made  him  fully  aware  of  the 
slight  teniu'e  by  which  he  held  life. 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


117 


It  had  been  some  time  since  he  had  seen  his  very 
dear  sister  Mary  and  her  family,  and  he  determined  to 
visit  them  in  Wisconsin,  and  also  his  brother.  Gov. 
Dodge,  and  his  family,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  at- 
tached: then  to  visit  his  friend,  Gen.  George  W.  Jones, 
who  had  ever  been  to  him  like  a  cherished  younger 
brothel  He  anticipated  lively  pleasure  in  seeing  all 
these  dear  and  highly  valued  friends  in  their  own 
homes,  and  his  noble  heart  entered  joyfully  into  this 
last  visit  to  those  to  whom  he  was  so  devotedly 
attached. 

On  his  return,  although  looking  well,  he  complained 
frequently  of  a  violent  palpitation  of  the  heart,  and  a 
difficidty  of  brejithing  ;  these  painful  sensations  would 
not  continue  long,  but  they  often  recurred,  and  while 
they  lasted  were  very  distressing. 

His  business  matters  annoyed  him  greatly,  as  he 
was  compelled  to  pay  some  heavy  security  debts  for 
those  in  whom  he  had  placed  great  confidence. 

Only  three  weeks  before  his  death.  Dr.  Linn  called 
to  see  a  lady  for  Avhom  he  felt  a  great  friendship,  (Mrs. 
Rousan,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  John  Scott  of  St.  Gen- 
evieve,) and  told  her  that  he  had  a  great  favor  to  ask 
of  her,  which  was,  that  should  she  hear  of  his  sudden 
death,  she  would  hasten  to  his  wife  and  remain  with 
her  until  her  mother  coidd  arrive.  Mrs.  R.  was  dis- 
posed to  smile  at  such  a  request,  coming  from  one 


!| 


118 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


looking  in  such  perfect  health.  The  Doctor  took  her 
hn'^d  and  said  in  an  impressive  manner,  "  I  know  my 
true  situation  ;  I  may  drop  dead  at  any  moment  from 
this  dreadful  disease,  and  the  better  my  health  appears, 
the  worse  it  is  for  me,  for  I  am  far  too  plethoric.  My 
death  Avill  be  an  awful  blow  to  my  dear  wife,  Avho  can- 
not believe  that  my  life  is  in  danger  while  I  am  looking 
in  good  health,  and  therefore  I  hope  you  will  stay  with 
her  until  her  relations  come  to  her."  Mrs.  R.  gave 
the  promise  which  she  most  faithfully  kept. 

The  Doctor  went  to  Mine  Lamotte  where  he  was 
detained  by  very  harassing  business  for  twelve  days, 
and  on  his  retmii  appeared  vjery  nervous  and  excited 
about  a  paper  he  feared  was  lost,  and  which  was  of 
great  pecuniary  value  to  him.  The  morning  after  his 
return,  he  desired  jMrs.  Lhni  to  accompany  him  to  his 
office  and  assist  him  to  look  for  the  mislaid  paper,  and 
the  greater  portion  of  the  day  was  spent  in  a  vain  search 
for  it. 

Mrs.  Linn  became  alarmed  at  finding  the  Doctor's 
nervous  agitation  rapidly  increase,  and  beggrd  him  to 
sit  still  while  she  continued  the  search.  He  replied 
that  he  ahould  be  compelled  to  do  so,  as  he  felt  a  violeii'. 
vertigo  in  his  head,  which  nearly  made  hhu  blind. 
Mrs.  L.  continued  searching,  when  suddenly  her  hus- 
band calling  to  her,  observed,  "  There  is  a  trunk  under 
that  table,  in  which,  my  dear  wife,  I  have  faithfully 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


119 


kept  every  line  tliiit  you  ever  wrote  ine  ;  I  may  have 
put  the  paper  with  your  letters,  and  I  will  l(K)k  there 
for  it."  He  then  stooped  to  draw  out  the  trunk,  when 
his  head  dropped  on  the  arm  of  the  chair,  and  a  horrid 
spasm  passed  over  his  face.  In  an  instant  she  was  by 
his  side  supporting  his  head.  The  Doctor's  counte- 
nance soon  rcgahied  its  wonted  composure,  and  he  sat 
up  apparently  unconscious  that  any  thing  painful  Iiad 
taken  place,  and  inquired  if  the  paper  had  been  found. 
Mrs.  L.  implored  liim  to  go  to  bed  immediately  and 
send  for  a  physician,  as  he  was  ill ;  he  smiled  and  re- 
plied that  he  was  in  his  usual  health,  and  insisted  on 
still  continuing  to  search  for  the  missing  paper,  which 
Mrs.  L.  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a  few  moments 
after. 

Just  at  this  time  a  young  friend,  now  an  eminent 
lawyer  in  the  City  of  New  Orleans,  ciillcd  to  Mrs.  Linn 
and  requested  her  to  come  to  him  in  lier  garden,  and 
give  him  some  of  her  beautiful  autumnal  flowers  to 
send  to  N.  O.  on  a  steamer  about  leavincf  for  that 
city  ;  the  Doctor  accompanied  her,  and  for  some  time 
the  three  walked  in  the  garden  enjoying  a  most  cordial 
conversation — the  last  they  were  ever  to  have  witli  each 
other  in  this  world.  For  this  young  friend  the  Doctor 
and  Mrs.  L.  entertained  a  warm,  parental  affection. 
They  had  watched  him  from  infancy  to  the  bright 
maturity  of  manhood,  possessing  endowments  to  com- 


fM 


120 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


.If  >-^\ 


iii^iir- 


^f'*'!!!.,! 


Pi' 


'ih 


!?(?!'i* 


mand  their  admiration  and  win  their  love.  The  Doctor 
took  great  pleasure  in  conversing  Avith  and  advising  him 
in  regard  to  his  futm'e  course  in  hfe,  and  liecanie  warm 
and  animated  on  the  subject.  Never,  I  am  sure,  will 
that  young  friend  forget  the  eloquent  and  paternal 
solicitude  which  he  manifested  for  his  prosperity  on 
that,  the  last  evening  that  good  man  spent  on  earth. 

The  shades  of  night  were  closing  around  the  three 
who  cojitinued  to  walk  in  the  garden,  imconscious  of 
the  lateness  of  the  hour,  when  supper  was  announced. 
Mr.  R.,  having  an  engagement,  declined  entering  the 
house  A\lth  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Linn,  who  then  approached 
the  table  to  take  the  last  supper  that  they  were  ever  to 
enjoy  on  earth  together.  Before  taking  his  seat  at  the 
table,  the  Doctor  extended  his  arms  over  it,  and  made 
a  beautiful  prayer.  His  good  old  mother-in-law  gazed 
on  him  with  delight,  and  said,  "  My  dear  son,  you  look 
far  more  attractive  and  interesting  than  you  did  the 
evening  you  married  my  daughter,  twenty-six  years 
ago."  The  Doctor  remarked,  "  You  all  keep  me  in 
such  good  humor  with  myself  when  I  am  at  home,  that 
I  am  induced  to  forget  how  heavily  time  has  laid  his 
hand  upon  my  brow."  After  supper  the  Doctor  vftn- 
tinued  in  unusually  fine  spirits,  and  did  not  exhibit 
any  ill-effects  from  the  momentary  spasm  which  had  so 
greatly  alarmed  his  Avife.  For  more  than  an  hour  he 
entertained  his  family  with  his  violin,  upon  which  he 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


121 


played  with  exquisite  taste.  Tie  held  his  daughter 
(twelve  years  of  age)  a  long  tiuic  in  his  arms  seated 
on  his  knees,  telling  her  if  God  spared  his  life  how 
perfectly  her  education  slioidd  he  finished,  lie  then 
liad  a  long  and  most  affectionate  conversation  with  his 
son,  expressing  his  Conviction  that  he  woidd  die  soon, 
and  connnitting  to  his  care  his  mother  and  sister,  when 
they  would  have  no  other  protector. 

Mrs.  Linn  could  not  refrain  from  feeling  the  most 
painful  anxiety  in  regard  to  her  husband,  although  he 
looked  so  well,  and  urged  him  to  retire  to  rest,  but  he 
declined  doing  so  untU  twelve  o'clock.  He  then  re- 
quested her  to  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible,  and  some 
hymns,  remarking  that  there  "were  two  of  a  number  of 
liynms  she  had  often  read  to  him,  which  he  would  like 
to  think  would  be  sung  at  his  funeral.  I'inding  this  ob- 
servation greatly  distressed  his  wife,  he  begged  her  to 
forget  it,  and  said  he  Avould  retire  to  rest.  After  praying, 
he  requested  her  to  lie  down,  and  scarcely  had  she  done 
so  when  he  threw  himself  on  the  bed,  looking  very  weary. 
His  head  resting  on  her  bosom,  in  an  instant  he  ap- 
peared to  be  in  a  heavy  sleep.  She  did  not  move, 
fearing  she  might  disturb  him,  but  she  felt  too  much 
concerned  to  sleep.  Day  began  to  dawn,  and  ]\Irs.  Linn 
discovered  that  the  whidow  shutter  near  their  bed  had 
not  been  closed ;  fearing  the  light  would  awake  her 
liusband,  she  tried  to  rise  as  gently  as  possible  to  close 


isii.L 


ij'li'' 


«:1: .  i  1 


1  * 


m% 


122 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


it.  With  all  her  .  care  she  coukl  not  avoid  making  a 
Uttle  noise,  and  the  Doctor  awoke  and  asked  her  why 
she  rose  so  early  ?  When  informed  of  the  reason  he 
said,  "  It  is  evei*  thns  Avith  you,  my  dear  Avifc ;  I  firmly 
believe  that  your  sleepless  vigilance  and  kind  nursing 
have  added  many  years  to  my  life."  He  then  inquired 
whether  she  felt  well ;  if  so,  he  requested  her  to  write 
the  letters  he  had  mentioned  to  her,  and  after  he  had 
taken  a  little  more  sleep  he  would  get  up,  sign  the 
letters,  and  they  would  both  leave  home  in  the  first 
steamer,  on  a  visit  to  St.  Louis,  He  desired  her  to 
bring  a  little  table  near  his  bed  and  Avrite  there,  that 
he  might  feel  that  she  was  near  him.  Mrs.  Linn  was 
leaving  the  room  to  get  her  writing  materials,  when  her 
husband  called  to  her  to  come  and  place  another  pillow 
under  his  head,  which  felt  as  if  it  was  pressed  down  by 
a  great  weight.  Wliile  doing  this,  the  Doctor  threw 
his  arms  around  his  wife's  neck  and  pressed  her  head 
upon  his  bosom,  and  while  using  some  affectionate  ex- 
pression dropped  into  his  last  sleep.  Por  some  hours 
Mrs.  Linn  sat  close  to  her  husband's  bed,  writing  and 
watching. 

As  she  finished  her  letters,  her  son  came  into  the 
room,  and  seeing  how  calmly  his  father  appeared  to 
rest,  urged  his  mother  to  try  and  sleep  herself,  as  she 
looked  very  weary.  Not  wishing  to  leave  her  husband, 
whom  she  expected  to  wake  every  moment  and  call  for 


%«;) 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


123 


her,  Mrs.  L.  thought  she  woiUd  rest  a  while  on  the  back 
part  of  his  bed.  In  passing  round  to  do  so,  she  stopped 
and  looked  at  the  Doctor,  who  appeared  to  be  sleeping 
as  sweetly  as  an  inftmt.  Suddenly  a  dark  shadow 
passed  over  his  face,  which  greatly  alarmed  her,  and 
she  called  a  servant.  In  an  instant  more  the  same  dark 
and  unearthly  expression  came  over  the  face  of  Dr. 
Lhm,  and  the  cries  of  both  Mrs.  L.  and  the  servant 
soon  filled  the  room  Avitli  anxious  friends  and  several 
physicians.  Every  effort  was  made  to  restore  the  Doc- 
tor to  life,  but  all  in  vain ;  he  breathed  for  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  after  being  bled,  and  expired  without 
a  struggle  or  a  groan. 

In  moving  him,  the  blood  gushed  from  his  eyes, 
nose  and  mouth  ;  the  fatal  aneurism  had  burst  in  his 
noble  heart,  and  his  precious  soul  was  in  heaven, — 
•2  o'clock,  October  3d,  1S43. 

As  soon  as  Dr.  Linn's  death  was  known,  meetings 
were  convened  in  every  county  in  the  State  of  Missomi 
for  the  purpose  of  paying  tributes  to  the  memory  of 
their  deeply -lamented  and  favorite  statesman .  Eloquent 
speeches  were  made  on  this  mournful  occasion,  and 
from  all  these  meetings  letters  of  condolence  Avere  sent 
to  his  bereaved  family. 

Wisconsin  and  Iowa,  then  territories,  claimed  the 
privilege  of  mourning  the  death  of  Dr.  Linn,  as  if  he 
had  been  their  own  senator ;  he  had  served  them  so 


!   ■■ 


IIP''^ 

Mi<<'' 

mi' 4 

Xt  ^'^i 

W,  ?]i| 

M ; 

lw|B, 

"«i^  1      f 

«1  1 

HKa 

|j|;. ' 

w" 

HB| 

m- 

124 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


faithfully  in  the  U.  S.  Senate,  where  they  were  too 
young  to  have  a  voice,  that  their  citizens  felt  with  the 
deepest  gratitude  all  he  had  done  in  that  body,  for  the 
prosperity  of  their  respective  territories;  and  on  the 
assembling  of  their  Legislatures,  after  pronouncing 
beautiful  eulogies  on  Dr.  Linn,  passed  unanimous  re- 
solutions in  both  their  legislative  bodies  to  wear  mourn- 
ing for  him,  and  send  letters  of  condolence  to  his  widow 
and  family.  So  great  were  the  number  of  letters  of 
condolence  addressed  to  Dr.  Linn's  bereaved  family, 
from  every  part  of  the  United  States  upon  the  an- 
nouncement of  his  death,  as  to  form  a  large  volume. 
Copies  of  some  of  them  will  serve  to  show  what  were 
the  feelings  of  sympathy  expressed  in  all. 

The  State  of  Missouri  erected  a  splendid  monument 
over  the  remains  of  their  favorite  statesman,  Dr.  Lewis 
F.  Linn,  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  their  Legislature. 


UH 


too 

the 

the 

the 

cing 

s  re- 

>um- 

idow 

rs  of 

mily, 

I  an- 

urae. 

were 

lent 
iewis 
:e. 


«:f 


!i*, 


rf: 


*:i 


rriiirc  li\'\  ^>f  ?>!:.  i  p  n  . 


S'  SEirvlOE  IN  TJIK  CNIl'ED  f^TATES  8F.XATE. 


i?y  N.  ^>\K(rih::sT. 


i:'  I,    I 


m 


i 


§ 


WL' 


'.-(.V 


Sv 


*'I,.,.1<^       *<■ 


^ 

f 


:|^'ii-«:i 


■»S"*^' 


KH 


n:!^l 


PUBLIC  LIFE  OF  DR.  LINN ; 


OB, 


TEN  YEAKS'  SERVICE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


BY   N.    SARGENT 


^m 


||..': 

AM 


ADVEKTISEMENT. 


I  FEEL  it  due  to  myself  to  say,  that,  to  prepare  a  notice  of 
the  Public  Life  of  Dr.  Linn,  was  an  undertaking  I  should 
never  have  voluntarily,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  my  own  mind, 
assumed  ;  and  I  have  prepared  the  following  at  the  request  of  his 
amiable  relict,  with  a  consciousness  of  my  inability  to  do  justice 
to  the  late  Senator,  and  to  meet  the  expectations  of  his  numerous 
and  warm-liearted  friends. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  some  one  of  those  whose  intimacy 
with  Dr.  L.  would  have  enabled  him  to  have  written  an  account 
of  his  senatorial  life  more  satisfactory  to  his  friends,  and  with 
an  ability  that  woidd  have  enhanced  the  value  of  the  work,  did 
not  take  upon  himself  to  perform  this  duty. 

Ther3  are  those  who  had  the  privilege  of  an  intimate  and 
I'iuniliar  personal  intercourse  with  him  for  many  years,  who,  of 
course,  knew  him  far  better  than  I  did,  and  who  could  have  en- 
livened the  narrativ  e  of  his  public  life  with  many  interesting  and 
characteristic  anecdotes.  It  was  not  my  lot  to  be  upon  intimate 
terms  with  him.  Our  personal  acquaintance  was  but  slight.  I 
knew  him  only  as  a  Senator ;  and  considering  that  our  acquaint- 
ance was  so  slight,  and  that  we  belonged  to  opposing  political 
parties,  it  is  not  a  little  singular  that  the  labor  of  preparing  a 
notice  of  his  public  services  shoidd  have  devolved  upon  me.  All 
I  can  say  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  this  has  been  ex- 


m 


■  ^  s 


128 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


'^i  y 


ecuteil,  is,  that  I  have  emleavoreil  to  do  justice  vo  Dr.  Linn,  and 
with  that  view,  to  make  him  speak  for  himself  as  often  as  possi- 
ble, through  the  debates  of  the  Senate  in  which  he  took  part. 

I  am  indebted  solely  to  the  public  records  of  the  country, — 
chiefly  to  the  journal  and  debates  of  the  Senate, — for  the  mate- 
rials from  which  I  have  compiled  this  memoir.  I  had  hoped  to 
have  obtained  some  anecdotes  and  incidents  of  an  interestliig 
character  from  the  few  personal  friends  of  tlie  Doctor  who  are 
still  here,  that  would  have  broken  the  monotony  of  the  narrative ; 
but  in  this  I  have  been  disappointed. 

From  the  only  specimen  of  his  epi-stoiary  talent  that  has  not 
been  lost, — his  letter  to  Mrs.  Linn,  from  London, — we  cannot 
but  regret  that  the  numerous  letters  he  must  have  written  from 
Washington,  in  his  playful  moods,  and  when  he  felt  keenly  and 
spoke  freely  in  .egard  to  public  men  and  measures,  fashionable 
society,  the  gayeties,  follies  and  frivolities  of  metropolitan  life 
during  the  winter  season,  have  been  los.;.  The  absence  of  such 
anecdotes  and  incidents,  and  ^o  of  his  private  letters,  is  thus 
accounted  for.  It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  account  of  his  ten 
years'  service  in  the  Senate  will  be  found  neither  uninteresting 
nor  unprofitable  reading. 

N.  SARGENT. 

Wushitiffton  City,  Oct.,  1856. 


R)       < 


%' 


PUBLIC  LIFE  OF  DR.  LINN ; 


OB, 


TEN  YEARS'  SERVICE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE. 


•  k-'-' 


CHAPTER   I. 


'iii 


It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  Doctor  Linn  was, 
in  the  autumn  of  1833,  appointed  by  the  Gover- 
nor of  the  State  of  Missouri,  a  Senator  of  the  United 
States,  to  fill  tlie  vacancy  which  had  l)een  created  by 
t^ii  death  of  Alexander  Buckner.  He  accepted  the 
vni  light  appointment  v/ith  that  distrust  of  his  own 
mti  cs  and  ability  to  discharge  the  arduous  duties  ac- 
ceptably to  the  people  of  his  State,  which  often  marks 
talent  of  a  high  order  and  great  capacity  for  nsefid- 
ness  in  pub  he  station. 

Upon  entering  that  august  body  ho  deported  him- 
self with  a  modest  reserve  most  creditable  to  him, 
:md  commendable  as  an  example  to  others  of  less 


130 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


mm 


M  :=■  ^ 


■•:'?[ 


ability  than  fell  to  his  lot;  yet  this  diffidence  in 
his  own  powers,  and  that  sense  of  propriety  which 
prompted  him  to  allow  more  experienced  senators  to 
take  the  lead  in  the  business  and  debates  of  the  Sen- 
ate, did  not  prevent  hiin  from  giving  liis  unremitting 
attention  to  whatever  affected  the  interests  of  the  State 
he  in  part  represented,  nor  from  bringing  forward 
measures  r^alculated  to  promote  her  welfare  and  that 
of  her  citiii.' 

Seldom  has  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  con- 
tained a  greater  number  of  men  distinguished  for 
talent  and  eloquence,  and  eminent  for  ptiblic  services, 
than  belonged  to  that  body  at  the  time  Dr.  Linn  en- 
tered it ;  and  becoming  a  member  for  the  first  time  of 
any  legislative  body,  it  cannot  be  matter  of  surprise 
that  he  should  at  least  not  seek  to  attract  attention  by 
occupying  much  time  or  taking  a  prominent  part  in 
debate.  Nor  did  he  consider  this  necessaiy  to  the 
interests  of  his  State,  since  his  colleague,  Colonel  Ben- 
ton, was  already  numbered  among  the  oldest  senators, 
and  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  all  important  debates. 

The  following  gentlemen  constituted  the  Senate  at 
the  commencement  of  the  session  of  1833-4,  on  the 
first  session  of  the  23d  Congress,  the  time  Dr.  Linn 
entered  it,  to  Avit : 

Maine — Peleg  Sprague,  Ether  Shepley. 
New  Hampshire — Samuel  Bell,  Isaac  Hill. 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


131 


Massachn-wtts — Nathaniel  Silsbee,  Daniel  Webster. 
Rhode  Land — Ashur  Robbing,  Nehemiah  R.  Knight. 
Connecticut — Gideon  Tonilinson,  Nathan  Smitli. 
Vermont — Samuel  Prentiss,  Benjamin  Swift. 
Neio  lor/^— Silas  Wright,  N.  P.  Tallmadge. 
New  Jersey — T.  Erelinghuyscn,  Samuel  L.  Southard. 
Pennsylminia — Wlllian  Wilkins,  Sanuiel  McKean. 
Delaware — John  M.  Clayton,  Arnold  Naudain. 
Maryland — Ezekiel  F.  Chambers,  Joseph  Kent. 
Virginia — Wm.  C.  Rives,*  John  Tyler. 
North  Carolina — Bedford  Brown,  Willie  P.  Mangum. 
South  Carolina — John  C.  Calhoun,  Wm.  C.  Preston. 
Georgia — John  Forsyth,  John  P.  King. 
Kentucky — George  M.  Bibb,  Henry  Clay. 
Tennessee — Felix  Grundy,  Hugh  Lawson  White. 
Ohio — Thomas  Ewing,  Thomas  Morris. 
Louisiana — G.  A.  Waggaman,  Alex.  Porter 
Indiana — Wm.  Hendricks,  John  Tipton. 
Mississippi — Geo.  Poindexter,  John  Black. 
Illinois — Elias  K.  Kane,  John  M.  Robinson. 
Alabama — Wm.  R.  King,  Gabriel  Moore. 
Missouri — Thos.  H.  Benton,  Lewis  F.  Linn. 


i-i 


This  was  the  first  session  of  Congress  held  after  the 
election  of  General  Jackson  for  a  second  term,  and  was 
as  remarkable  for  the  exciting  topics  introduced  and 

*  In  consequenci'  of  a  series  of  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Legislature  of 
\'irgipia,  expressing  views  and  sentiments  different  from  those  held  by  Mr. 
li'ives,  and  instructiag  lier  senators  to  support  measures  which  he  could  not 
conscientiously  support,  he  ret^igned  his  seat  early  in  the  session,  and  was  suc- 
leeJcd  by  Benjamin  Watkins  Leigh,  a  man  of  great  eloquence  and  distin- 
jiuished  ability. 


132 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


I  r^'-  ^ 


It' 


made  the  subjects  of  heated  pohtical  discussion,  as  it 
was  for  the  amount  of  talent  and  the  number  of  dis- 
tinguished men  it  contained. 

The  bill  to  recharter  the  Bank  of  the  United  States, 
passed  by  the  precetling  Congress,  had  been  vetoed  by 
President  Jackson  in  1832,  iir.d  the  public  deposits  or 
government  funds  had  been  removed  from  the  bank 
shortly  preceding  the  commencement  of  this  session. 
Upon  these  subjects  the  country  had  been,  and  now  con- 
tinued to  be,  greatly  agitated,  and  politick  feeling  prob- 
ably never  ran  higher.  Every  man  in  the  community 
became  to  acertahi  extent  a  politician,  and  thousands 
of  wealthy  business-men — merchants,  manufactiu:ers, 
artisans,  mechanics  and  professional  men,  who  never  lie- 
fore  interested  themselves  in  political  affairs, — now  took 
an  active  part  in  the  disturbhig  questions  of  the  day. 
From  every  quarter — State  Legislatuiv^s,  county  conven- 
tions, cities,  towns,  various  mercantile  and  mechanical 
associations,  from  citizens  of  every  class,  profession  and 
enqjloyment — came  pouring  in  resolutions,  memorials 
and  petitions,  condemnatory  of  the  removal  of  the  de- 
posits from  the  United  States  Bank,  and  depicting  in 
glowing  language  the  stagnation  in  business,  and  the 
general  derangement  and  distress  it  had  occasioned. 
These  were  mostly  sent  to  the  Senate,  and  when  pre- 
sented, were  made  the  occasion  for  an  eloquent  speech 
or  speeches  by  the  senator  to  whom  they  had  been 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


133 


intrusted,  and  not  unfre(juently  by.  Mr.  Clay,  Mr. 
Webster,  Mr.  Calhoun,  My.  Ewing,  Mr  Clayton,  and 
other  distinguished  senators,  opposed  to  the  administra- 
tion, and  by  Mr.  Wright  of  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Forsyth,  Mr. 
Grundy,  Mr.  Benton,  and  otiiers  in  reply  and  in  defence 
of  the  President. 

Early  in  the  session  Mr.  Clay  introduced  resolutions 
condemnatory  of  the  President  for  dismissing  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury  (Mr.  Duanc),  because  he  would 
not  remove  the  money  of  the  United  States  in  deposit 
with  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  in  conformity  with 
the  President's  desire,  and  appointing  his  successor 
(Mr.  Taney)  to  effect  such  removal,  and  declaring  that 
in  so  doing,  the  President  had  "  assumed  the  exercise 
of  a  power  over  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States,  not 
granted  to  him  by  the  constitution  and  laws,  and  dan- 
gerous to  the  liberties  of  the  people." 

These  resolutions  were  the  subject  of  a  very  able, 
but  very  heated  and  acrimonious  debate,  which  lasted 
until  the  28tli  of  March,  when  they  were  modified  by 
the  mover,  and  that  relating  to  the  President  passed  in 
tlie  following  words : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  President,  in  the  late  executive 
proceedings  in  relation  to  the  public  revenue,  has  as- 
sumed upon  himself  authority  and  power  not  conferred 
l)y  the  constitution  and  laws,  but  in  derogation  of  both." 
9 


i: 


134 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


m0  1 1 

li  ■■■'V'''-' 


In  opening  the  debate  upon  his  resolutions  in  an 
elaborate,  highly-wrought  and  powerfid  speech,  on  the 
2Gth  of  Dec.,  1833,  Mr.  Clay  commenced  by  sayhig, 
"  We  are  in  the  midst  of  a  revolution  hitherto  blood- 
less, but  rapidly  tending  towards  a  total  change  of  the 
pure  republican  character  of  the  government,  and  to 
the  concentration  of  all  power  in  the  hands  of  one  man. 
The  powers  of  Congress  are  paralyzed,  except  when 
exerted  in  conformity  with  his  will,  by  frequent  and  an 
extraordinary  exercise  of  the  executive  veto,  not  antici- 
pated by  the  founders  of  the  constitution,  and  not 
practised  by  any  of  the  predecessors  of  the  present 
Chief  Mgistrate." 

In  addressing  the  Senate  upon  this  subject  in  one 
of  his  thrilling  speeches,  Mr.  Calhoun  said,  alluding  to 
the  entrance  of  Cyesar,  sword  in  hand,  into  the  treasury 
of  Rome  :  "  They  [the  Administration]  have  entered  the 
treasury,  not  sword  in  hand,  as  public  plunderers,  but 
with  the  false  keys  of  sophistry,  as  pilferers,  under  the 
silence  of  midnight.  The  motive  and  the  object  are 
the  same,  varied  in  like  manner  by  circumstances  and 
chai'acter.  'With  money  I  will  get  men,  and  with 
men  money,'  was  the  maxim  of  the  Roman  plunderer. 
With  money  we  will  get  partisans,  with  partisans  votes, 
and  with  votes  money,  is  the  maxim  of  our  public  pil- 
ferers. With  men  and  money,  Coesar  struck  down 
Roman  liberty  at  the  fatal  battle  of  Philippi,  never  to 


; 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


135 


nse  again  ;  from  which  disastrous  hour  all  the  powers 
of  the  Roman  repubhc  were  consolidated  in  the  person 
of  CcTsar,  and  perpetuated  in  his  line.  With  money 
and  corrupt  partisans  a  great  effort  Is  now  making  to 
choke  and  stifle  the  voice  of  American  liberty,  through 
all  its  natural  organs :  by  corrupting  the  press ;  by 
overawhig  the  other  departments  ;  and,  finally,  by  set- 
ting up  a  new  and  polluted  organ,  composed  of  office- 
holders and  corrupt  partisans,  under  the  name  of  a 
national  convention,  which,  counterfeiting  the  voice  of 
the  people,  will,  if  riot  restrained,  in  their  name  dictate 
the  succession  ;  when  the  deed  will  be  done,  the  revo- 
lution be  completed,  and  all  the  powers  of  our  repub- 
hc, in  like  manner,  be  consolidated  in  the  President, 
and  perpetuated  by  his  dictation." 

In  closing  this  celebrated  speech,  Mr.  Calhoun  gave 
utterance  to  the  following  impassioned  and  impressive 
language : 

"  We  have  arrived  at  a  fearfid  crisis  ;  things  can- 
not long  remain  as  they  are.  It  behooves  all  who 
love  their  country,  who  have  affection  for  their  off- 
spring, or  who  have  any  stake  in  our  institutions,  to 
pause  and  reflect.  Confidence  is  daily  withdrawing 
from  the  General  Government.  Alienation  is  lioufly 
going  on.  These  will  necessarily  create  a  state  of 
things  inimical  to  the  existence  of  our  institutions,  and, 
if  not  speedily  arrested,  convulsions  must  follow,  and 


r^ 


WV^B 


n^'AW 


136 


LIFE   OP   DR.   LINN. 


then  comes  dissolution  or  despotism,  when  a  thick  cloud 
will  be  thrown  over  the  cause  of  liberty,  and  the  future 
prospects  of  oiu*  country." 

In  opening  his  speech,  Mr.  Ewing  said:  "The 
sudden  alarm  in  all  (piarters  of  the  country,  occasioned 
by  the  removal  of  the  public  funds,  the  magnitude  of 
the  calamity  which  it  has  brought  upon  the  people,  and 
the  just  apprehension  of  still  greater  evils  which  are  to 
follow  in  its  trair.,  give  to  the  subject  a  grave  and  ab- 
sorbing interest." 

These  extrficts  will  suffice  to  show  the  temper  of  the 
times  and  the  inflammatory  character  of  party  politics 
at  the  period  when  Dr.  Linn  first  became  a  member  of 
the  United  States  Senate.  Of  the  debates  which  took 
place  during  this  session,  he  was  a  silent  but  not  an 
indifferent  listener.  Ardent  and  sincere  in  aU  his  opin- 
ions and  sentiments ;  entering,  as  he  was  accustomed 
to  do,  with  his  whole  soul  into  whatever  interested  him, 
and  being  a  wann  personal  as  well  as  political  friend 
of  General  Jackson,  whose  measures  lie  a^)proved,  and 
whom  he  believed  to  be  a  bold,  upright,  and  patriotic 
Chief  Magistrate,  though  his  modesty  and  distrust  of 
his  own  powers  ot  debate  deterred  him  from  entering 
the  arena  where  so  many,  and  such  celebrated  cham- 
pions vere  contending  with  keen  weapons  and  bright 
and  pdished  armor,  yet  he  failed  not  to  sustain  the 
President  by  his  votes  and  by  his  sympathy  and  en- 


LIFE    OF    DR.  LINN. 


137 


couragement,  wliich  the  latter  by  no  means  under- 
valued. 

The  war  carried  on  during  this  session  by  the 
Whigs  against  the  Administration,  and  the  Adminis- 
tration against  the  Whigs,  may  well  be  styled,  from  the 
character  of  the  leaders  and  champions  on  both  sides, 
"the  war  of  the  Titans,  or  Giants."  Truly,  when  we 
behold  the  number  of  able,  eloquent,  and  distinguished 
statesmen  who  were  then  arrayed  against  each  other  in 
the  Senate,  we  may  exclaim,  "  There  were  giants  in 
those  days."  But  those  giants  have  passed  way ;  the 
noise  and  din  of  their  battle  has  ceased,  and  many  of 
them  have  been  called  to  a  higher  sphere  of  action, 
where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary 
are  at  rest. 

Having  devoted  himself  heretofore  most  assidu- 
ously to  the  studies  and  arduous  duties  of  a  profession 
which  required  him  to  give  attention  to  the  constitu- 
tions and  diseases  of  the  human  body  rather  than  to 
those  of  the  body  politic — ^miaceustomed  to  the  duties 
of  a  legislator  and  to  grappling  with  the  knotty  ques- 
tions and  nice  distinctions  of  law,  and  never  having 
made  the  great  science  of  jurisprudence  a  study,  he 
was  now  placed  iii  a  field  of  action  not  only  new  to 
him,  but  for  which  his  previous  studies  and  occupation 
in  life  had  not  altogether  prepared  him.  No  one  knew 
this  better  than  himself;  no  one  saw  as  he  did  the 


mM 


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LIFE    or    DR.    LINN. 


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4. 


!!:{' 


necessity  of  fuiuiliarizing  himself  witli  those  great 
!uul  general  principles  of  constitutional,  international 
and  nuuiicipal  law,  which  form  the  hasis  of  our  free 
inslitutions,  and  guaranty  to  us  a  degree  of  civil  liberty 
which  falls  to  the  lot  of  no  other  people.  With  sena- 
tors and  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States,  generally,  who  are  mostly  lawyers, 
these  leading  principles  of  law  are  familiar  acquaint- 
ances and  of  frequent  reference ;  they  have  been  with 
them  subjects  of  study  and  of  daily  forensic  discussion 
before  judicial  tribunals  ;  not  so  Avith  those  of  other 
professions  and  occupations,  and  they  nmst  tlierefore 
feel  less  at  home  amid  such  discussions,  and  more 
reluctant  to  take  part  in  the  debates  of  the  body  of 
which  they  are  men;bers,  especially  if,  as  was  the  case 
with  Dr.  L.,  they  had  never  taken  part  in  the  discus- 
sions of  political  questions  before  the  people  in  popular 
assemblies,  and  upon  what  is  technically  called  "  the 
stump,"  where,  according  to  the  practice  in  some 
States,  mind  grapples  with  mind,  logic  with  logic,  and 
all  the  powers  of  the  speaker  are  tasked,  called  forth, 
exercised  and  unproved. 

But  though  Dr.  Linn  did  not  venture  into  the 
arena  of  debate  amidst  the  Titans  of  the  Senate,  he 
was  not  unmindful  of  the  interests  of  the  State  which 
he  represented  and  her  citizens,  but  exerted  himself  to 


:t.^- 


LIFE    OP    DR.    LINN. 


139 


obtain  appropriations  for  the  iniproveinent  of  the  har- 
bor of  St.  Louis  and  of  the  Mi8sissi})pi  river. 

Singularly  but  characteristieally  it  appc^u's,  in  ex- 
amining his  "  record,"  that  the  first  time  he  stood 
prominently  forward  in  the  Senate,  was  to  act  the  part 
of  a  mediator  or  peacemaker. 

Mr.  Calhoun  had  made  an  elaborate  speech  upon 
the  dangerous  abuse  of  Executive  Patronage.  Mr. 
Benton  replied,  commenting  upon  the  report  of  tlie 
committee,  of  which  Mr.  Calhoun  was  chairman,  and 
who  reported  the  bill  under  consideration,  "  with  great 
warmth  and  severity."  Mr.  B.  read  from  the  report 
the  following  :  "  It  is  to  convert  the  entire  body  of 
those  in  office  into  corrupt  and  supple  instruments  of 
power,  and  to  raise  up  a  host  of  hungiy,  greedy,  and 
subservient  partisans,  ready  for  every  senice,  liowever 
base  and  corrupt."  Mr.  B.  remarked,  "  corrupt  and 
supple  instruments  of  power,"  and  the  gentleman  has 
done  me  the  honor  to  identify  me  with  them,  '  as  base 
and  corrupt.'  *  *  *  It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should 
repel  the  accusation,  for  the  whole  t  3oi)le  of  the  United 
States  will  drive  it  back  upon  him  as  a  bold  and  direct 
attack  upon  truth  !  "  Mr.  B.  was  here  called  to  order 
by  Mr.  Poindexter,  and  the  objectionable  words  "a 
direct  attack  upon  truth  "  taken  down. 

A  debate  ensued  upon  the  question  whether  the 


■.t: 


140 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


i?'M: 


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^1  '-■} 


;ii  ,,;. 


words  were  a  breach  of  order,  during  a  part  of  which 
iimch  excitement  prevailed  in  the  Senate. 

The  Vice  President,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  decided  that 
the  words  did  not  cliarge  the  senator  from  South 
Carohna  with  falsehood,  and  were  therefore  not  of  a 
personnl  character  ;  from  which  decision  an  appeal  was 
taken.  After  several  senators  had  spoken  eloquently 
and  warmly  on  the  subject,  Mr.  Linn  rose  to  express 
his  deep  regret  that  any  thing  should  have  arisen  to 
distiu'b  the  harmony  of  debate.  Por  the  honorable 
Senator  from  South  Carolina  lie  entertained  the  utmost 
respect,  and  for  his  honorable  oUeague,  whom  he  had 
known  so  many  years,  he  felt  the  warmest  friendship. 
He  regretted  the  unpleasant  occurrence  of  that  morn- 
ing, though  he  Avas  bound  to  say  it  was  not  an  unusual 
one.  He  felt  convinced  that  the  Senate  had  been 
often  out  of  order,  in  the  course  of  debate,  and  the 
friends  of  the  administratic  ri  frequently  had  to  bear 
much  from  gentlemen  on  the  other  side. 

This  was  undoubtedly  true.  It  was  true  that  great 
latitude  had  been  allowed  in  the  debates  of  the  Senate. 
Political  feeling  ran  high  throughout  the  country ;  the 
most  intense  acrimony  characterized  the  political  con- 
flicts of  tlie  two  parties  into  which  the  country  was 
divided,  and  every  where  the  war  between  them  was  a 
"war  to  the  knife,  and  the  knife  to  the  hilt."  No 
quarter  was  asked,  none  expected,  and  none  given.     It 


LIFE    OF    Dll.    LINN. 


141 


was  not  strange  then  that  the  feeling  which  animated 
the  masses  of  the  people  should  tind  its  way  into  the 
bosoms  of  senators,  and  an  outlet  in  language,  which, 
if  kept  within  the  bounds  of  senatorial  decorum,  was 
not  the  less  provoking  and  irritating  to  those  to  whom 
it  w^as  applied. 

The  decision  of  the  President  of  the  Senate  was 
reversed,  and  without  retracting  any  thing  Mr.  Benton 
was  permitted  to  proceed  with  his  remarks. 

At  the  close  of  this  session,  the  second  of  the 
twenty-third  Congress,  1834-5,  another  subject  was 
introduced  which  produced  much  feeling  and  called 
forth  a  very  heated  debate.  A  misunderstanding  had 
sprung  up  between  the  governments  of  Trance  and  the 
United  States  in  regard  to  the  payment  of  indenmity 
for  spoliations  by  the  former  to  the  latter.  The  {imouni 
due  had  been  settled  by  treaty  or  convention,  but  the 
King  of  the  French,  I-ouis  Philippe,  had  refused  or  un- 
rearjonably  neglected  to  pay  over  the  stipulated  amount. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  Gen.  Jackson,  never  disposed  to  be  trifled  with 
nor  to  permit  his  country  to  be,  was  stronj>;ly  inclined 
to  resort  to  coercive  measures.  An  amendment  was 
therefore  adopted  in  the  House  of  Representatives  to 
the  Fortification  Bill  on  the  last  day  of  the  session, 
appropriating  $3,000,000,  to  be  expended  in  whole  or  in 
part,   under  the   direction   of   the   President   of  tl:e 


'1 


■'il 


18 


142 


LIFE   OF    DR     LINN. 


United  States,  for  the  military  and  naval  service,  includ- 
ing fortifications  and  ordnance,  and  increase  of  the 
navy :  Provided,  such  expenditures  should  be  ren- 
dered necessary  for  the  defence  of  the  country  prior  to 
the  next  meeting  of  Congress. 

This  amendment,  which  was  intended  to  enable  the 
President,  in  case  of  a  rupture  with  Prance,  "  to  secure 
the  safety  of  the  country  until  the  assem])ling  of  Con- 
gress," was  earnestly  and  Avarmly  opposed.  In  favor 
of  the  appropriation  it  was  urged  that  it  was  well 
known  that  "  there  was  a  peculiar  crisis  in  our  foreign 
relations,  and  it  was  now  too  late  to  go  into  the  detail 
of  legislation." 

Dr.  Linn  advocated  the  appropriation,  and  declared 
that  he  should  vote  for  it,  although  it  v/as  an  extraor- 
dinary one,  because  he  thought  it  necessary  under  the 
present  state  of  affairs.  He  could  not  believe  that 
this  Chief  Magistrate  or  any  other  who  might  preside 
over  the  destinies  of  this  people,  would  make  a  Avrong 
or  improper  application  of  their  funds. 

The  amendment  foiled  to  pass  the  Senate  and 
therefore  fell  to  the  ground ;  but  it  was  the  subject  of 
very  acrimonious  discussion  subsequently  in  the  public 
press,  and  served  to  add  intensity  to  the  already  em- 
bittered feeling  between  the  two  great  parties. 

But  though  the  amendment  failed,  it  is  proper  to 
add  that  the  high  tone  and  firm  stand  taken  by  the 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


143 


President,  soon  brought  about  an  amicable  adjustment 
of  the  misunderstanding  by  the  payment,  in  gold,  of 
the  amount  due  from  France  to  our  citizens,  which  was 
all  the  President  had  desired  or  asked. 

It  was  in  connection  with  this  affair  that  the  Presi- 
dent made  the  celebrated  and  patriotic  declaration  that 
"The  Government  of  the  United  States  would 
demand  nothing  but  what  was  right,  and  would 
SUBMIT  TO  >0TniNG  THAT  WAS  WRONG."  A  sentiment 
worthy  of  Washington  himself,  and  which  ought  to 
be  inscribed  in  letters  of  gold  upon  the  front  of  the 
Executive  Mansion,  and  over  the  seats  of  the  presiding 
officers  of  both  Houses  of  Congress. 

r>r.  Linn  had  now  been  two  terms,  or  during  one 
Congress,  in  the  Senate,  and  had  become  known  to  the 
members  generally ;  and  with  acquaintance  grew  es- 
teem. From  an  examination  of  somt  .»!  his  private 
correspondence,  it  is  seen  that  he  had  already  won  the 
friendship  of  many  distinguished  members  of  the  body 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  to  whom  he  was,  person- 
ally, an  entire  stranger  when  he  entered  it ;  nor  Avas 
this  friendship  in  any  instance  interrupted  so  long  as  he 
and  they  lived ;  on  the  contrary,  it  became  more  and 
more  ardent,  and  each  was  more  and  more  esteemed  by 
the  other.  Such,  indeed,  were  the  warm  and  affection- 
ate disposition,  the  kindly  social  feeling,  the  agreeable 
conversation  and  the  genial  temper  of  the  Doctor,  that 


i4 


w 

VMM 


1'!  IV 


144 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


I  ^ri !.:;'.  ^T-' 


those  who  had  once  come  in  close  and  social  contact 
with  him,  could  scarcely  prevent  his  taking  captive  their 
willing  hearts,  and  loving  him  for  his  many  noble  quali- 
ties. He  was  the  soul  of  honor,  and  his  sense  of  Avhat 
was  due  to  others  as  well  as  to  himself,  of  the  most 
delicate  kind ;  yet  not  such  as  to  prompt  him  to  be  on 
the  "w  atch  for  personal  aflronts  and  neglects  ;  far  from 
it ;  for  while  he  had  a  just  appreciation  of  himself,  his 
modesty  would  not  permit  him  to  doubt  that  he  re- 
ceived from  others  all  the  respect  that  was  justly  his 
due.  While  no  6i\e  had  a  higher  reputation  for  chival- 
rous bravery  and  a  readiness  to  resent  any  intended 
affront,  yet  no  one  had  a  more  ardent  love  for  peace, 
or  a  greater  desire  to  live  on  terms,  not  only  of  amity, 
but  of  cordiality  with  all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in 
association  ;  and  no  one  was  more  ready  to  act  the  part 
of  a  peacemaker,  and  heal  misunderstandings  between 
others. 

It  was  the  esteem  which  Dr.  Linn  won  from  his 
brother  senators  by  these  generous,  amiable,  and  manly 
qualities,  and  the  rule  he  invariably  observed,  never  to 
throw  any  obstacle  in  the  way  of  imy  bill  or  measure  in 
which  other  senators  took  an  interest,  unless  compelled 
to  oppose  it  by  a  sense  of  public  duty,  that  enabled  him 
to  carry  so  man>  of  his  own  through  the  Senate,  and 
render  such  important  services  to  his  immediate  con- 
stituents, and  to  the  people  of  the  West  genovally.     In 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


145 


this  respect,  no  one  could  be  more  fortunate  and  suc- 
cessful ;  indeed,  it  came  to  be  considered  that  almost, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  whatever  bill  or  measure  Dr. 
Linn  introduced,  would  find  favor  with  the  Senate,  and 
be  sure  to  be  passed.  Such  is  the  power  of  coiu-tesy, 
kindliness,  and  condescension  in  a  grave,  dignified,  de- 
liberati'  e  body ;  but,  where  the  human  heart  beats  with 
the  same  impulse  is  subject  to  the  same  passions,  and 
influenced  by  the  same  motives  as  subject,  influence, 
and  control  men  in  a  less  elevated  sphere  of  life. 


II 

■■m> 


«.| 


CHAPTER   II. 


h  ''!'  ii': 


Mm 


From  the  commencement  of  the  24th  Congress,  Dr. 
Linn  began  to  take  a  more  active  part  in  the  business 
before  the  Senate.  Nothing  in  which  his  own  State 
and  constituents  were  interested,  or  that  concerned  that 
portion  of  the  country  then  denominated  "  the  far 
West,"  or  that  which  Hes  west  of  the  Mississippi  river, 
escaped  his  notice.  Identified,  as  he  was,  in  interest 
and  association  with  this  interesting  section  of  the 
Union,  his  home  from  youth  to  manhood,  containing 
all  that  he  most  loved  and  cherished,  his  wife,  children 
and  friends,  no  wonder  he  looked  upon  it  with  fond 
affection,  and  to  whatever  affected  its  interests,  pros- 
perity, seciu-ity,  and  happiness,  with  filial  attention  and 
dutiful  devotion. 

The  settling  the  Missouri  land  claims,  or  claims  to 
lands  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  under  Spanish  and 
French  grants,  by  a  law  of  Congress,  was  one  of  the 
important  subjects  which  engaged  his  attention,  and  by 


H^i 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


147 


which  he  rendered  a  very  essential  service  to  a  large 
class  of  worthy  citizens.  A  Board  of  Commissioners 
had  been  appointed  under  the  acts  of  July  9th,  1832, 
and  March  2d,  1833,  for  the  purjjose  of  receiving  tes- 
timony  in  support  of  these  claims,  and  of  reporting 
thereon  to  the  government,  with  a  view  to  determine 
what  claims  were  valid  and  what  were  otherwise.  Dr. 
Linn  had  been  a  member  of  this  Board,  and  the  bill 
referred  to  was  brought  in  for  the  purpose  of  confirm- 
ing the  decisions  the  Board  had  made,  so  that  the  in- 
quietude of  the  claimants  might  be  removed,  and  their 
titles  established  by  law.  Aided  by  his  ad  ocacy,  and 
the  lucid  and  satisfactory  explanations  of  the  whole 
subject  he  was  able  to  give,  the  biU  passed  the  Senate. 
Another  subject  to  which  Dr.  Linn  gave  much  at- 
tention, was  the  putting  of  the  Western  country  in  a 
state  of  defence  against  the  large  bodies  of  Indians 
that  had  been  congregated  west  of  Missoiu*i  and  those 
occupying  the  country  north.  Addressing  the  Senate 
on  this  subject  on  one  occasion  when  Mr.  Clay's  land 
bill  was  under  consideration,  "  he  implored  senators  to 
look  at  the  great  western  frontier,  from  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  examination 
he  was  sure  would  produce  feelings  of  sympathy  for 
the  situation  of  the  people  of  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Mis- 
souri, and  Wisconsin.  The  existence  of  the  numerous 
tribes  of  Indians  claiming  to  be  independent  within  the 


^.^\ 


i  i 


i^'' 


i 


a:' 


'.■■'M 


::!;  :  :  il.^- 


vIJ;h-- 


148 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


States,  had  shaken  the  Union  to  its  centre,  and  at  one 
time  appeared  to  threaten  a  dissoUition  of  the  confed- 
eracy. To  get  rid  of  this  embarrassing  subject,  and 
to  save  the  Indians  from  destruction,  their  removal  to 
the  west  l)ank  of  the  Mississippi  was  determined  on  by 
the  General  Government,  and  following  out  this  line  of 
policy,  tribe  after  tribe  has  been  located,  imtil  the  ag- 
gregate amount  has  become  alarming  to  contemplate. 
These  Indians  were  placed  there  for  the  benefit  of  the 
old  States  respectively.  Have  we  not,  then,  the  right, 
asked  Mr.  L.,  to  demand  from  the  justice  of  Congress 
all  the  means  necessary  for  our  defence  and  protection  ? 
War,  he  said,  was  at  all  times  terrible ;  but  a  war  with 
Indians  doubly  so.  They  are  our  hereditary  enemies, 
and  we  may  expect  combinations  among  them.  A  ge- 
nius of  the  commanding  character  of  Tecumseh,  pos- 
sessing a  mind  to  concoct  and  a  hand  to  execute,  could 
form  combinations  among  the  discordant  elements  that 
woidd  set  oiu*  whole  border  in  a  blaze.  From  the  mo- 
ment the  foot  of  the  first  white  man  touched  the  soil 
of  this  continent,  a  system  of  injustice  and  aggression 
commenced  towards  the  Indians,  which  has  been  perse- 
vered in  and  perfected,  until  they  find  themselves  on 
the  confines  of  the  great  western  plains,  far  from  their 
homes  and  the  graves  of  their  fathers.  Their  hatred, 
therefore,  is  natural.  But  the  laws  governing  popula- 
tion can  no  more  be  stayed  than  the  tides  of  the  ocean. 


IK'  I 


LIFE   OF    DU.    LINN. 


149 


Cain  slew  Abel,  and  the  farmer  will  ever  possess  po\/er 
over  the  hunter  or  herdsman.  The  Indians  are  thero- 
fore  a  doomed  race ;  treat  them  with  all  the  kindness 
and  humanity  in  your  power,  and  to  this  melancholy 
complexion  it  must  come  at  last.     ****** 

"  But  he  found  himself,  he  remarked,  wandering  from 
the  subject  that  had  induced  him  to  obtrude  himself 
on  the  notice  of  the  Senate.  lie  rose  merely  to  state, 
that  for  months  previous  to  the  celebrated  Black  Hawk 
having  crossed  the  Mississippi  to  commence  the  war, 
which  afterwards  raged,  he  had  despatched  emissaries 
to  every  tribe  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Sabine,  with 
a  view  to  form  combinations,  and  holding  out  induce- 
ments to  the  different  tribes,  to  make  a  simultaneous 
attack  on  the  whole  line  of  frontier.  From  infonna- 
tion  imparted  to  him,  and  which  came  from  a  reliable 
source,  he  felt  justified  in  asserting,  that  if  Black  Hawk 
had  gained  a  decisive  battle,  such  an  assault  would 
have  been  made,  the  consequences  of  which  would  har- 
row up  every  feeling  of  the  soul. 

"  Mr.  L.  looked  upon  such  combinations  among  the 
Indians,  as  he  had  spoken  of,  more  than  probable,  and 
should  that  happen,  and  the  thirst  for  plunder  and  re- 
venge urge  them  on,  they  would  burn,  plunder,  nmr- 
der  and  destroy  ;  and  if,  at  length,  they  met  an  over- 
powering force,  they  would  fly  to  the  boundless  plains 
behind  them,  where  they  could  sustain  themselves  on 


\  i< 


■*;vw. 


150 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


,     Hi' I      I 


i|-i 
^%^ 


the  countless  herds  of  buffalo  that  roam  over  these 
plains,  until  such  period  as  they  might  think  proper  to 
renew  the  attack.  Nothing,  at  some  future  day,  will 
prevent  this  state  of  things,  he  said,  but  the  presence 
of  a  force  sufficiently  great  to  overawe  the  disaffected, 
and  restrain  the  unruly.  The  presence  of  such  a  force 
is  due  to  them  from  humanity,  and  to  us  (he  spoke  for 
the  people  of  the  West)  from  justice." 

It  must  be  recollected,  that  this  view  of  the  impend- 
ing dangers  to  the  people  of  the  West  from  a  terrible 
Indian  war,  was  presented  twenty  years  ago;  and 
though  no  such  apprehensions  can  now  be  entertained 
from  the  same  cause,  yet  that  the  dangers  thus  glow- 
ingly depicted  at  that  time  were  imaginary  and  un- 
founded, no  one  at  all  conversant  with  Indian  and  fron- 
tier affairs  will  pretend.  The  danger  of  such  combina- 
tions as  Dr.  Linn  spoke  of  among  the  western  tribes  of 
Indians,  from  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  or  from  our  extreme 
northern  boundary,  to  Texas,  was  perceived  by  the 
government,  and  provided  against  by  raising  and  sta- 
tioning one  or  two  regiments  of  dragoons  on  the  western 
border,  and  directing  them  to  penetrate  the  Indian  ter- 
ritories occasionally,  and  let  the  savages  see  that  they 
were  watched,  and  a  force  was  ready  to  meet  them 
whenever  they  should  assume  any  hostile  attitude. 
Even  within  a  year  or  two  the  Government  have  found 
it  necessary  to  greatly  increase  the  mihtary  force  sta- 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


151 


tioned  along  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  in 
the  western  forts  generally,  to  curb  the  western  tribes 
of  Indians,  and  to  piuiish  their  hostile  acts,  which  has 
been  done  by  General  Harney. 

On  a  subsequent  occasion,  Mr.  Benton,  from  the 
Committee  on  Military  AfFjiirs,  reported,  with  amend- 
ments, the  bill  from  the  House  of  Representatives,  to 
authorize  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  accept 
the  services  of  volunteers  for  the  defence  of  the  fron- 
tiers, and  moved  that  the  Senate  proceed  to  the  consid- 
eration of  the  bill. 

Opposition  being  made,  Mr.  Linn  sustained  the 
motion  of  his  colleague.  He  said,  he  could  consider 
nothing  more  worthy  of  their  immediate  attention  than 
the  protection  of  our  frontiers,  threatened,  as  they  now 
had  good  reason  to  apprehend,  with  the  greatest  dan- 
gers. He  asked  the  Senate  to  look  at  the  frontier  from 
north  to  south,  and  they  would  see  a  vast  column  of 
Indians,  the  base  of  which  rested  on  Texas,  now  fight- 
ing for  independence,  and  against  which  the  Mexicans 
were  waging  a  war  of  extermination.  No  senator,  he 
said,  could  turn  his  eye  from  this  examination,  without 
being  convinced  that  a  train  of  the  most  inflammable 
materials  is  laid  around  our  borders,  ready  at  any  mo- 
ment to  have  a  spark  applied,  and  light  up  the  flame 
of  war — of  all  others  the  most  appalling." 

At  a  later  period  of  the  session,  the  Senate,  on  mo- 


!  f^ 


M 


■  V  ^'  'II 
'  ■.11 1  . 


■  ,    .  h 


152 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


,1  n 


11  > 


•  V  i 


tion  of  Mr.  Benton,  took  up  the  bill  to  increase  the 
niilitm-y  peace  cstablislnncnt  of  the  United  States.  Mr. 
B.  havin<(  cxi)laine(l  and  advocated  the  bill,  Mr.  Clay 
opposed  it,  and  Hiov(;d  to  strike  out  the  first  section, 
which  v^udd  be  killing  it,  shoidd  his  motion  be 
adopted. 

Mr.  Linn  then  came  to  the  aid  of  his  colleague, 
and  opposed  Mr.  Clay's  motion,  ui'ging,  in  the  main, 
arguments,  the  substance  of  Avhich  has  already  been 
given.  It  would  be  a  humane  policy,  he  said,  to  the 
frontier  States,  to  have  such  a  force  as  would  prevent 
the  possibility  of  an  Indian  outbreak.  He  spoke  of  the 
warlike  character  of  the  Indians,  the  feelings  of  hatred 
and  revenge  they  must  necessarily  indulge  against  the 
whites,  and  the  facilities  they  had  for  forming  combi- 
nations, which  demonstrated  the  necessity  of  having  a 
sufficient  force  to  overawe  them. 

After  further  debate,  in  which  Mr.  L.  replied  to 
Mr.  Crittenden,  the  bill  Mas  passed  by  the  Senate  by 
more  than  three  to  one. 

It  was  at  this  session  that  a  law  was  passed,  annex- 
ing to  Missouri  what  is  called  "  the  Platte  country," 
now  the  most  wealthy  and  densely  settled  part  of  the 
State,  except  St.  Louis  city  and  county.  Dj*.  Linn 
took  a  deep  interest  in  this  measure,  and  exerted  him- 
self to  procure  the  passage  of  the  act.  The  territory 
gained  thereby  is  a  most  valuable  acquisition  to  the 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


153 


State.  By  this  iiddition,  the  vcsteni  bountlary  was 
extended  to,  and  is  now  the  Missouri  river.  One  of 
tlie  ol)jecti3n8  to  this  measure  was,  tiuit  it  wouhl  annex 
a  hu'ge  tract  of  country,  over  which,  by  the  Missouri 
Coniproniise,  slavery  could  not  be  extended,  to  a  State 
in  which  slavery  existed,  and  by  whose  laws,  authorizing 
the  holding  of  slaves,  it  would  thereafter  be  governed. 
The  subject  was  referred  to  the  Connnittee  on  the  Ju- 
diciary, then  composed  of  the  following  distinguished 
gentlemen,  all  of  whom,  siive  one,  are  now  living  :  to 
wit,  John  M.  Clayton,  James  Buchanan,  Benjamin 
Watkins  Leigh,  William  C.  Preston,  and  John  J.  Crit- 
tenden.* 

The  committee  were  fully  aware  that  the  annexa- 
tion of  this  countiy  to  the  State  of  Missouri,  by  ex- 
tending her  western  boundary  to  the  Missouri  river, 
would  be  a  breach  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  ;  never- 
theless, as  it  was  situated,  it  had  become  a  den  of 
thieves,  robbers,  and  outlaws,  subject  to  no  law  and 
the  jurisdiction  of  no  State.  It  was  then  IiidiMU  terri- 
tory, but  filled  with  that  infamous  population  which 


i'N, 


.  '":.♦ 


.y*^  : 


^'M 


*  Since  this  was  ^n-ittei  Mr.  Clayton  has  passed  away;  ar  i  it  is  no  dis- 
paragement to  others  to  say,  that,  as  a  statesman  of  broad,  compi  eliensive,  and 
national  views ;  of  a  strong  and  highly  cultivated  intellect,  and  well  stored 
mind;  of  ardent  and  patriotic  devotion  to  his  country,  laid  zea'  in  promoting 
all  her  great  interests,  protecting  her  honor,  and  so  elfiv»*!:.g  her  character 
that  she  might  be  a  light  and  a  guide  to,  and  command  the  respect  and  ad- 
miration of,  all  civilized  nations,  he  has  left  no  superior.  Mr.  Buchanan  is 
now  President  elect  of  the  United  States. 


m 


m 


m 


'Ml 


U 


m 


lii' ' '  • 


Ill 


I'i:" 


154 


LIFE    OF    DR.    IJNN. 


delights  to  escape  from  the  restraints  which  law  im- 
poses, to  some  place  where  they  can  give  loose  to  all 
the  evil  passions  and  propensities  of  their  degraded  na- 
tures. To  break  up  this  nest  of  outlaws,  who  demor- 
alized the  Indian  population,  and  committed  all  sorts 
of  depredations  upon  the  people  of  Missouri,  was  con- 
sidered a  greater  good  than  the  breach  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise  was  an  evil,  and  the  committee  therefore 
reported  uranimously  in  favor  of  the  measure ;  nor  did 
it  meet  with  any  serious  opposition  in  the  Senate.  The 
bill  became  a  law  on  the  7th  June,  1836. 

During  the  first  session  of  the  24th  Congress,  a 
large  number  of  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery 
in  the  District  of  Columbia  were  sent  to  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Representatives  from  various  parts  of 
the  country.  The  people  of  the  North  had  become 
much  excited  on  the  subject,  and  in  regard  to  slavery 
generally.  Agitators  were  among  them;  meetings 
were  gotten  up,  and  resolutions  of  the  most  intemper- 
ate character  adopted  and  published ;  these  were  scat- 
tered abroad  like  so  many  fire-brands,  for  the  purpose 
of  spreading  the  flame  of  excitement  and  agitation. 
The  most  incendiary  publications  vere  thrown  in  grsat 
profusion  from  abolition  presses,  and  the  mails  were 
made  the  vehicle  of  scattering  these  among  the  people 
of  the  South,  and  of  getting  tliern  into  the  hands  of 
such  blacks,  bond  or  free,  as  could  k  ad.     Calculated, 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


155 


and  probably  intended,  to  excite  discontent  among  the 
slaves,  if  not  to  incite  and  encourage  them  to  insurrec- 
tion against  their  owners,  the  people  of  the  slave  States 
naturally  became  indignant  and  alarmed  at  this  insidi- 
ous and  unjustifiable  interference  in  their  aflfairs,  and 
the  attempt  to  bring  about  a  state  of  things  in  those 
States,  at  which  humanity  must  shudder  with  horror. 

To  such  an  extent  had  this  system  of  agitation  been 
narried,  and  so  inflamed  had  become  the  public  mind  in 
all  parts  of  the  country  in  consequence,  that  the  Presi- 
dent, General  Jackson,  deemed  it  proper  to  make  it  one 
of  the  topics  of  his  annual  message.  In  speaking  of 
the  affairs  of  the  General  Post  Office,  he  said : 

"  I  must  also  invite  your  attention  to  the  painful 
excitement  produced  in  the  South,  by  attempts  to  cir- 
culate through  the  mails  inflammatory  appeals,  ad- 
dressed to  the  passions  of  the  slaves,  in  prints,  and  in 
various  aorts  of  publications,  calculated  to  stimidate 
them  to  insurrection,  and  to  produce  all  the  horrors  of 
a  servile  war.  There  is,  doubtl<3ss,  no  respectable  por- 
tion of  our  countrymen  who  can  be  so  far  misled,  as  to 
feel  any  other  sentiment  than  that  of  indignant  regret 
at  conduct  so  destructive  of  the  harmony  and  of  the 
peace  of  the  country,  and  so  repugnant  to  the  princi- 
ples of  our  national  compact,  and  to  the  dictates  of  hu- 
manity and  rehgion.  Our  happiness  and  prosperity 
essentially  depend  upon  peace  within  our  borders — and 


;  « 


i 


,  ■■«] 


m>' 


i 

Si'f 


1  m  1 


$ 


#MHi '■■! -tn!:!  jl 


ii  '■    ■  . 
I;  '  ' 

■ 

■■  'i 

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'      .1    ■} 

if^t 


m 


'^r 


156 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


peace  depends  upon  the  maintenance,  in  good  faitii,  of 
those  compromises  of  the  constitution  upon  which  the 
Union  is  founded.  It  is  fortunate  for  the  countiy  that 
the  good  sense,  the  generous  feeUng,  and  the  deep- 
rooted  attachment  of  the  people  of  the  non-slavchold- 
ing  States,  to  the  Union,  and  to  their  fellow-citizens  of 
the  same  blood  in  the  South,  have  given  so  strong  and 
impressive  a  tone  to  the  sentiment  entertained  against 
the  proceedings  of  the  misguided  persons  who  have 
engaged  in  these  unconstitutional  and  wicked  attempts, 
and  especially  against  the  emissaries  from  foreign  parts 
who  have  dared  to  interfere  in  this  matter,  as  to  au- 
thorize the  hope  that  those  attempts  will  no  longer  be 
persisted  in." 

Early  in  the  session,  Mr.  Calhoun  moved  that  so 
much  of  the  President's  message  as  relates  to  the 
transmission  of  incendiary  publications  by  the  United 
States  mail  be  referred  lO  a  special  committee.  This 
was  agreed  to,  and  Dr.  Linn  was  [>iaced  upon  this  com- 
mittee, which  made  a  report,  and  introduced  a  bill  to 
prohibit  the  circulation  of  such  publications  through 
the  U.  S.  mail. 

This  subject,  and  that  of  receiving  petitions  for 
abolishing  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  which 
can'e  pouring  in  in  great  numbers,  became  prominent 
topics  of  debate  during  the  session,  and  of  the  most 
heated  and  inflammatory  speeches  ever  listened  to  in 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


157 


the  Senate.  One  mode  of  treating  these  petitions,  pro- 
posed, Avas  to  receive  thein,  and  silently  refer  them  to 
the  Committee  on  the  District  of  Columbia,  or,  with- 
out debate,  lay  them  on  the  table.  Mr.  Calhoun,  how- 
ever, objected  to  their  being  received  at  all,  and  upon 
this  question  arose  a  protracted  discussion.  The  tem- 
per and  spirit  of  this  debate  may  be  inferred  from  the 
following  remarks  of  Mr.  Preston,  of  S.  C. 

Mr.  P.  said :  "  When  I  consider  the  extraordinary 
excitement  which  has  been  produced  throughout  the 
country  ;  the  combustible  material,  in  the  shape  of  in- 
cendiary pamplilets,  which  has  been  accumulated  and 
spread  abroad  ;  the  vast  multitudes  which  have  assem- 
bled ;  the  apostles  who  have  addressed  them  ;  their  acts 
f.nd  their  menaces  ;  though  I  am  but  little  disposed  to 
allude  to  them,  yet  a  regard  to  the  honor  and  interests 
of  the  South  calls  upon  me  to  do  so,  and  that,  too,  in 
language  which  she  has  a  right  to  expect  and  demand. 

"  Sir,  the  Southern  mind  has  already  been  filled 
with  agitation  and  alarm.  Their  property,  their  do- 
mestic relations,  their  altars,  their  lives,  are  in  danger ; 
and,  as  if  this  were  not  sufficient,  we  have  now  these 
agitators  and  incendiaries  calling  upon  Congress  t^  act 
upon  the  slaveholding  States,  either  directly  or  mdi- 
rectly,  through  the  medium  of  this  District.  And  are 
we,  sir,  to  sit  still  and  see  it  ?  Are  we  to  behold  our 
rights  and  privileges  trampled  upon  ?     All  upon  which 


til 

:■     'tl 


f<ff 


M 


Li, 

5,;ig 


y-}\'A 


(t    i 


158 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


the  permanence  and  security  of  our  prosperity  de- 
pend, is  assailed  by  these  blood-tiiu*sty  fanatics,  and 
Government  called  upon  to  participate  in  thv^  wanton 
and  malicious  movement,  without  lifting  a  hand,  with- 
out raising  a  voice,  without  acting  as  a  due  regard  to 
the  honor,  dignity,  and  happiness  of  our  constituents 
calls  upon  us  to  act  ?  " 

This  exciting  subject  was  disposed  of  in  the  Senate 
by  corning  to  an  understanding  that  all  petitions  should 
be  received  and  laid  upon  the  table,  there  to  remain  ; 
which  was  much  the  wisest  course,  and  least  likely  to 
produce  and  foster  excitement  either  at  the  North  or  at 
the  South.  It  was  yielding  to  the  petitioners  the  naked 
light  to  petition,  but  laying  their  petitions  quietly  on 
the  table  was  saying  to  them  that  it  was  useless  to 
send  their  inflammatory  memorials  to  that  body. 

In  the  House,  however,  a  more  impohtic  and  un- 
wise course  was  pursued.  The  subject  was  there  re- 
ferred to  a  special  committee,  who  reported,  among 
other  resolutions,  the  following,  which  was  adopted, 
and  out  of  which  grew  the  famous  21st  rule,  to  wit : 

"  Resolved,  That  all  petitions,  memorials,  resolutions, 
propositions,  or  papers,  relating  in  any  way,  or  to  any 
extent  whatever,  to  the  subject  of  slavery,  or  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery,  shall,  without  being  either  printed  or 
referred,  be  laid  upon  the  table,  and  that  no  further 
action  whatever  shall  be  had  thereon." 


my. 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


159 


That  the  adoption  of  this  rule  by  the  House,  in- 
stead of  pursuing  the  practice  of  the  Senate,  was  the 
cause  of  the  very  great  increase  in  the  number  of 
petitions  of  this  kind  presented,  and  of  increased 
agitation  at  the  North,  no  one,  it  is  presumed,  now 
doubts.  Dr.  Linn  was  in  favor  o^  the  course  adopted 
by  the  Senate,  rightly  judging  what  the  effect  of  the 
other  would  be.  The  subject  coming  up  again  at  the 
subsequent  session,  he  took  occasion  briefly  to  express 
his  views  thereon. 

A  memorial  from  the  grand  jury  of  Washington 
County,  D.  C,  having  been  presented,  protesting 
against  the  interference  of  citizens  from  distant  States 
in  respect  to  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  a  motion  was  made  that  it  be  laid  on  the 
table  and  printed.  Mr.  Calhoun  then  moved  to  print 
an  extra  number  of  copies. 

In  making  this  motion,  Mr.  Calhoun  said  it  was  a 
most  important  paper,  and  there  was  one  part  of  it  at 
which  he  most  heartily  rejoiced.  It  took  the  true  posi- 
tion— that  abolition  petitions  should  not  be  received. 
He  further  expressed  himself  very  earnestly  and  warmly 
upon  this  subject  in  advocating  the  motion  to  print  an 
extra  number. 

"Mr.  Linn  said  he  should  be  pleased  to  know 
whether  any  practical  benefits  were  likely  to  grow  out 
of  circulating,  by  order  of  the  Senate,  copies  of  the 


l^li 


rM 


!m 


"i.l.J 


160 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


i 


m: 


-''^[: 


.;'-i^'i:: 


:  '.'^ 


'*;;) 


document  now  proposed  to  be  printed.  What,  he 
asked,  was  the  proper  remedy  for  the  evil  of  which  the 
people  of  the  District  of  Columbia  complained,  and 
concerning  which  they  had  directed  the  attention  of 
Congress  ?  Was  their  property  in  danger  ?  Were  the 
laws  insufficient  to  protect  their  slaves  ?  If  so,  let  us 
then  march  directly  up  to  the  subject,  and  enact  such 
as  will  afford  ample  seciu-ity.  For  measures  of  a  prac- 
tical nature,  he  would  give  his  vote  with  a  great  deal 
of  pleasure.  He  said,  he  was  well  aware  that  ques- 
tions of  this  kind  came  up  here,  and  incidentally  im- 
pressed persons  at  a  distance  with  the  '  lea  that  Con- 
gress wished  to  deprive  them  of  the  right  to  petition. 
Nothing,  in  his  opinion,  was  more  erroneous.  Refuse 
to  receive  and  hear  an  abolition  petition,  and  you  ren- 
der the  abolitionist  a  thousand  times  more  active  and 
industrious  in  propagating  their  doctrines,  and  more 
successfiU  in  enlisting  the  sympathies  in  their  favor  of 
those  who  believed  in  the  inherent  right  of  the  people 
to  assemble  and  petition  for  a  redress  of  grievances. 
He  never  had  voted,  and  never  would  vote,  for  the 
printing  and  disseminating  an  abolition  memorial ;  nor 
would  he  lend  his  aid  for  the  printing  of  this  docu- 
ment in  favor  of  slavery. 

"  On  the  great  question  of  slavery,  the  constitution 
and  laws  would  find  ample  support  in  the  good  sense 
of  the  great  body  of  the  American  people.     lie  gave 


*■; 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


161 


it  as  his  opinion,  that  to  insure  tranquillity  was  to  let 
this  exciting  topic  alone." 

The  wisdom  of  this  remark,  and  the  correctness  of 
the  views  taken  by  Dr.  L.,  have  now  been  fully  proved. 
So  long  as  the  21st  rule  existed  in  the  House,  the  peo- 
ple of  the  North  never  ceased  to  pour  in  their  abolition 
petitions ;  hundreds,  and  perhaps  thousands  of  them, 
having  been  offered  by  Mr.  John  Q.  Adams,  more 
with  the  view  to  vindicate  or  claim  the  right  of  petition, 
than  with  any  desire  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners 
should  be  granted.  But  scarcely  had  this  rule  been 
abrogated,  as  it  was  at  the  first  session  of  the  29th 
Congress,  than  these  petitions  almost  wholly  ceased ;  and 
we  now  hear  no  more  of  them,  though  there  are  pro- 
bably some  of  them  occasionally  presented  and  laid 
quietly  on  the  table. 

In  the  discharge  of  his  public  duties,  no  senator 

could  be  more  constant  in  his  attendance,  observant  of 

what  was  going  on,  watchful  of  the  interests  of  the 

people  of  his  own  State,  and  efficient  in  promoting 

thera.     Whatever  concerned  Missouri,  or  the  people  of 

Iowa,  or  Wisconsin,  had  a  peculiar  interest  for  Dr. 

Linn ;  and  the  more  deeply  it  concerned  these,  the  more 

ardently  did  he  embrace  and  labor  to  accomplish  the 

object  proposed.     Among  the  subjects  which  seemed 

most  to  occupy  his  thoughts  at  this  period,  w^re  the 

obtaining  of  grants  of  public  lands  for  various  purposes 
11 


,i'' 


4S 


m' 


•i'':ii  I 


m  .i 


y;l 


162 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


for  his  State,  and  the  protection  of  the  western  and 
northern  frontiers  against  the  hostihties  of  the  Indians, 
to  which  tlie  people  of  Missouri  and  Iowa  were  at  that 
time  so  much  exposed.  The  Black  Hawk  war  had 
shown  what  murders  and  depredations  the  Indians,  if 
united  in  large  bodies  and  led  on  by  a  warrior  of  ge- 
nius and  influence,  might  commit  before  a  sufficient 
force  to  repel  them  could  be  got  together  and  brought 
against  them  ;  and  he  constantly,  therefore,  advocated 
the  increase  of  the  army,  or  the  raising*  of  some  regi- 
ments of  dragoons  to  be  stationed  along  the  frontier, 
to  scour  the  country,  overawe  the  savages,  and  prevent 
them  from  committing  outrages  upon  the  whites. 

At  the  second  session  of  the  24th  Congress,  Mr. 
Benton,  chairman  of  the  Military  Committee,  brought 
in  a  bill  to  increase  the  military  establishment  of  the 
United  States.  It  being  warmly  opposed,  chiefly  by 
Mr.  Calhoun  and  Mr.  Crittenden,  Mr.  Linn  took  part 
in  the  debate  in  aid  of  his  colleague.  After  several 
days  had  been  spent  in  dicussing  the  bill, 

"  Mr.  Linn  rose,  and  said,  that  it  was  now  the  settled 
policy  of  the  Government  to  remove  those  remnants  of 
Indian  tribes  who  yet  retained  some  territory  within 
the  States,  from  the  positions  they  occupied,  and  to  give 
them  in  exchange  a  territory  Avest  of  the  Mississippi ; 
thereby  at  once  protecting  the  Indians  from  the  en- 
croachments and  depredations  of  a  surrounding  white 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


163 


population,  and  enabling  the  State   Governments  to 
exercise  uninterrupted  jurisdiction  over  the  entire  ex- 
tent of  their  own  territory.     It  was  a  noble  policy, 
characterized  alike  by  wisdom  and  humanity.     It  had 
originated  in  the  cabinet  of  which  the  Senator  from 
South  Carolina  had  been  at  the  time  a  distinguished 
member,  and  it  would  stand  in  the  history  of  the  coun- 
try a  glorious  and  enduring  monument  of  the  enlight- 
ened views  and  enlarged  benevolence  of  its  authors. 
The  process  had  commenced,  and  the  plan  was  in  the 
course  of  execution  by  the  present  administration,  not- 
withstanding many  obstacles.     The  Indians  had  been 
removed  from  many  of  the  States,  and  collected  in  their 
respective  tribes  on  our  Western  frontier.     Now,  Mr. 
L.  would  ask  the  Senator  from  South  Carolina,  and  all 
those  other  senators  who  represented  States  that  had 
formerly  been  burdened  with  an  Indian  population, 
whether  they  were  not  under  the  most  solemn  obliga- 
tions of  justice  to  the  States  of  Missouri,  Louisiana, 
and  Arkansas,  and  Temtory  of  Wisconsin,  in  whose 
immediate  vicinity  this  large  body  of  Indians  had  been 
assembled,  to  protect  her  people  from  the  Indians,  and 
to  protect  the  several  Indian  tribes  from  each  other  ? 
Now,  what  course  of  policy  was  it  necessary  to  pursue, 
iu  order  to  effectually  accomplish  this  "end?     Having 
removed  these  people  from  their  native  haunts,  and 
brought  them  together  under  new  circumstances,  the 


I 


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LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


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Government  Avas  obviously  under  obligations  to  extend 
to  them,  so  far  as  it  should  be  in  their  power,  the  bless- 
ings of  goverinncnt,  reli;^ion,  and  civilization ;  and  for 
this  purpose  the  great  and  efficient  means  uuist  be,  to 
break  up  the  war  spirit  amongst  iliemst;lves.  Unless 
that  spirit  could  be  put  down,  these  warlike  tribes 
would  in  a  little  time  destroy  each  other,  or  cause  ag- 
gression upon  us.  For  this  purpose,  it  was  indispen- 
sable that  we  should  have  at  our  disposal,  and  ready  for 
action,  a  respectable  military  force.  Successive  Secreta- 
ries of  War,  and  among  them  the  late  Secretary  Cass,  than 
whom  no  man  was  better  acquainti  l  with  the  Indian 
habits  and  character,  had  estimated  the  force  requisite 
for  this  object,  at  7,000  men.  General  Jessup,  in  a 
communication  made  by  him  to  the  Government,  had 
made  the  same  estimate,  and  all  the  Indian  agents  who 
had  been  consulted,  concurred  in  the  same  opinion. 
The  present  acting  Secretary  of  War  fully  agreed  in  it. 
They  all  agreed  in  opinion,  that  a  permanent  military 
for.ce  must  be  established  on  that  frontier.  When  not 
engaged  in  military  duty,  they  might  be  employed  in 
constructing  military  roads  and  fortifications.  Foits 
must  be  established  at  short  distances  from  each  other, 
and  garrisoned  by  a  standing  body  of  troops,  whilst 
cavalry  should  be  employed  to  move  from  point  to 
point.  To  hope  for  any  thing  like  permanent  peace 
among  a  large  body  of  Indians,  under  any  other  cir- 


i 
f.} 

M 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


165 


cunistances,  was  idle.  The  very  nature  of  the  Indian 
was  war  ;  it  was  the  clement  m  which  lie  moved ;  and 
lie  must  see  a  force  actually  present,  and  sufficient  to 
control  him,  or  this  warlike  propensity  could  never  be 
repressed.  It  was  utterly  vain  to  re[)rcsent  to  these 
people  the  power  of  the  United  States  Government. 
Nothing  of  the  kind  made  any  impression  on  the  In- 
dian mind,  unless  accompanied  by  a  visible  demonstra- 
tion of  military  force. 

"  The  Senator  from  Kentucky  (Mr.  Crittenden)  had 
observed  that  the  militia  of  the  Union  could  defend 
themselves.  It  was  \mqestionably  true ;  but  Mr.  L. 
contended  that  this  Government  had  no  right  to  place 
the  people  of  the  country  in  such  a  condition  that  they 
must  take  up  arms  to  defend  themselves.  It  was  un- 
just. No  one  knew  better  than  the  gentleman,  at  what 
cost  the  dark  and  bloody  soil  of  Kentucky  had  been 
conquered  and  maintained  against  a  savjige  foe.  Its 
soil  had  been  fattened  by  the  best  blood  of  this  land — 
blood  which  might  all  have  been  spared,  if  the  Go- 
vernment had  been  in  circumstances  to  afford  to  those 
hardy  settlers  the  protection  of  a  regular  military  force, 
but  which  was  denied  them  in  consequence  of  revolu- 
tionary struggles.  Mr.  L.  did  not  want  to  see  such 
scenes  enacted  in  Missouri.  No  doubt  the  people  of 
xMissouri  could  subdue  any  Indian  force  which  should 
invade  their  soil,  but  it  was  not  their  place  to  do  it. 


B 

Mjj 

V  \-    tf  1 

n 

■ ,  ill 

I 


11 


1C6 


LIFE    OF    1)11.    LINN. 


I 


.t : 


li 

m 


fi'*-'" 

li- r  , 

I'll  -- 

llli 

1 

They  ought  not  to  be  compelled  to  work  out  their  own 
safety. 

"  Mr.  L.  spoke  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  and  its  cause ; 
also  of  some  of  the  incidents  attending  it,  us  illustrating 
Indian  warfare  and  Indian  character,  and  asked  if  the 
Indian  character  and  habits  had  changed  ?  Not  at  all. 
'^rhey  were  the  same  ferocious  and  bloodthirsty  ])eople 
they  had  ever  been.  No  doubt  the  people  of  Missouri, 
after  a  bloody  struggle,  from  time  to  time  renewed, 
might  subdue  them.  But  he  repeated  the  assertion, 
that  the  Government  had  no  right  to  compel  them  into 
any  such  contest.  It  was  the  act  of  the  Government 
which  had  congregated  these  Indian  tribes  on  the  fron- 
tiers of  that  State,  and  it  was  unjust  to  leave  the  in- 
habitants exposed  to  have  their  houses  burnt,  their 
farms  laid  waste,  and  their  wives  and  children  toma- 
hawked before  their  eyes." 

In  the  progress  of  this  debate,  Dr.  Linn  understood 
some  senators,  Mr.  Calhoun  especially,  to  have  made 
charges  against  the  people  of  Missouri,  of  having  plun- 
dered and  oppressed  the  Indians  on  their  border.  The 
least  intimation  of  any  thing  of  this  kind,  the  slightest 
imputation  cast  upon  the  people  of  his  State — a  State 
which  he  loved  and  served  with  filial  affection  and  de- 
votedness, — ^was  sufficient  to  rouse  all  his  feelings,  and 
call  forth  all  his  ability  to  repel  the  charges,  and  defend 
the  fair  fame  of  the  State  whose  honor  and  interest  had 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


167 


been  in  part  intmstcd  by  her  to  his  safe-keeping.  He 
was  not  the  man  to  sit  silent  when  even  there  was  the 
l{!ast  whisper  of  dislionor  connected  witli  the  name  of 
Missouri.  Sans  jjcur,  sans  reproche  liimself,  with  an 
honor  as  spotless  as  that  of  a  Clievaher  Bayard,  of  an 
Admirable  Crichton,  he  felt  with  the  keenness  of  a  no- 
ble son,  the  least  imputation  cast  upon  the  State  of 
which  he  was  himself  an  integral  part,  and  to  which  he 
owed  willing  allegiance.  As  the  debate  Avas  about  to 
close,  and  the  question  to  be  taken  on  the  passage  of 
the  bill, 

Mr.  Linn  rose  to  reply  to  these  charges.  He  said 
he  had  resided  permanently  for  twenty -six  years  in  the 
State  of  Missouri,  and  knew  that  the  charge  was  wholly 
unfounded.  There  was  not  a  man  in  Missouri  or  Wis- 
consin, who  did  not  possess  too  much  sense  to  plunder 
Indians.  The  people  of  Missouri  had  never  robbed  or 
trampled  on  these  natives  of  the  forest.  They  had 
been  represented  as  a  poor,  spiritless,  downtrodden 
race,  ignorant  of  their  own  rights,  and  continually  im- 
posed upon  by  the  whites.  Nothing  could  be  more 
opposite  to  the  truth.  No  people  were  keener-sighted, 
or  more  fidly  awake  to  their  rights  and  interests.  No 
one  could  have  personal  intercourse  with  them,  and  not 
discover  that  they  were  shrewd  in  an  unusual  degree, 
The  Black  Hawk  war  was  to  be  traced  entirely  to  the 
fraud  practised  by  that  chief  in  the  execution  of  the 


,,1  M 


168 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


m 


11  ': 


ll* 


II 


m 

m 


1 1  Sis    K 


treaty.  He  had  openly  insulted  General  Gaines,  and 
threatened  his  soldiers,  and  the  General,  to  comply  with 
the  general  peace-poiicy  of  the  Government,  bought 
him  off.  But  he  returned  again  the  iiext  year.  Mr. 
L.  claimed  from  this  Government  protection  for  his 
constituents.  It  was  in  vain  for  gentlemen  to  declare 
there  was  no  danger,  when  150,000  Indians  had  been 
collected  on  their  frontier,  and  who  were  in  reach,  and 
might  be  in  communication  with  1 50,000  more,  inhab- 
iting the  vast  prairies  of  the  West.  Mr.  L.  here 
quoted : 

"  *  On  these  extensive  plains,  a  new  state  of  things 
was  likely  to  grow  up.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  a  great 
port,  will  form  a  lawless  interval  between  the  abodes  of 
civilized  man,  like  the  wa'jtes  of  the  ocean  and  the  des- 
erts of  Arabia ;  and,  like  them,  be  subject  to  the  depre- 
dations of  the  marauder.  Here  may  spring  up  new 
and  mongrel  racce.,  like  new  formations  in  geology,  the 
amalgamation  of  the  "  debris  "  and  abrasions  of  former 
races,  civilized  and  savage ;  the  remains  of  broken  and 
almost  extinguished  tribes ;  the  descendants  of  wan- 
dering hunters  and  trappers .;  of  fugitives  from  the 
Spanish  and  American  frontiers ;  of  adventiu*ers  and 
desperadoes  of  every  class  and  country,  yearly  ejected 
from  the  bosom  of  society  into  the  wilderness.  We 
are  contributhig  incessantly  to  swell  its  singular  and 


d- 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


169 


heterogeneous  cloud  of  wild  p(jpulation,  that  is  to  hang 
about  our  frontier,  by  the  transfer  of  whole  tribes  of 
savages  from  the  cast  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  great 
wastes  of  the  far  West.  Many  of  these  bear  with 
them  the  smart  of  real  or  fancied  injuries  ;  many  con- 
sider themselves  expatriated  beings,  wrongfully  exiled 
from  their  hereditary  homes  and  the  :'piil('hrcs  of  their 
fathers,  and  cherisli  a  deep  and  al)iding  animosity 
against  tlie  race  that  has  dispossessed  them.  Some 
may  gradually  become  pastoral  hordes,  like  those  rude 
and  migratory  people  (half  shepherd,  half  warrior)  who, 
with  their  flocks  and  herds,  roam  the  plains  of  Upper 
Asia  ;  but  others,  it  is  to  be  apprehended,  will  become 
predatory  bands,  mounted  on  fleet  steeds  of  the  prairies, 
with  the  open  plains  for  +heir  marauding  grouiuls,  and 
the  mountains  for  their  retreats  and  hu'king-places. 
Here  they  may  resemble  those  great  hordes  of  the 
North,  "  Gog  and  Magog,  with  their  bands,"  that  haunt- 
ed the  gloomy  imaginations  of  the  Prophets.  "  A  great 
company  and  mighty  host,  all  riding  upon  horses,  and 
warring  upon  those  nations  which  were  at  rest,  and 
dwelt  peaceably,  and  had  gotten  cattle  and  goods."  ' 

The  way  to  prevent  the  existence  of  this  state  of 
thina's,  Mr.  L.  said,  was  to  civilize  the  Indians.  This 
was  a  noble  design,  and,  projierly  pursued,  would  suc- 
ceed ;  but  never,  until   the  warlike  habits  of  the  In- 


i  H 


MP 


Mr'^ 


■  M 


^■^ 


'Is 


170 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LP:N. 


dians  Averc  brokjii,  and  they  were  converted  into  agri- 
culturists. So  long  as  they  shouhl  be  left  unawed  by 
a  military  force,  and  at  liberty  to  butcher  each  other, 
the  benevolent  design  intended  in  their  removal  could 
never  be  acomplished. 

"  Mr.  L.  said  he  had  travelled  through  the  Indian 
settlements  near  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  he  had  found 
fields  cultivated,  houses  built,  school-houses  erected, 
workshops  opened,  the  loom  going,  young  Indian  boys, 
from  sixteen  to  eighteen  years  old,  learning  the  me- 
chanic arts,  and  some  of  them  as  good  workmen  as 
could  be  found  any  where.  Here  the  Indians  were  per- 
fectly peaceable ;  and,  beholding  the  controlling  force 
in  their  presence,  had  abandoned  their  warlike  habits, 
and  were  beginning  to  cultivate  the  arts  of  peace.  Let 
but  this  system  be  carried  out,  and  the  same  results 
would  follow  throughout  the  Indian  country.  Was  it 
not  worth  an  experiment  ?  Did  wc  not  owe  it  to  these 
people  thus  to  secure;  to  them  a  fair  start  in  the  course 
of  civihzation  ?  This  once  secured,  their  progress 
would  afterwards  be  certain.  Only  keep  down  the 
tomahawk  for  a  few  years,  and  interest  and  experience 
would  convince;  these  people  of  the  advantages  of  peace 
and  civilization.  But  leave  them  to  their  own  savage 
nation,  refuse  to  the  white  settlers  any  niiUtary  defence, 
and  these  Indians,  whenever  their  resentments  should 
be  awakened,  could  at  any  time  make  an  irruption  into 


LIFE   OF   Dll.   LINN. 


171 


our  settlements,  burn,  sculp,  slay  and  butcher,  without 
mercy,  and  tlien  retreat  to  their  swamps  and  deserts 
before  any  force  could  be  collected  to  resist  them.  It 
required  no  spirit  of  pro})hecy  to  foretell,  with  great 
certainty,  the  recurrence  of  scenes  of  this  character  on 
our  frontiers,  if  the  Govennnent  should  neglect  to  erect 
forts,  and,  after  they  were  erected,  shouhl  be  unable  or 
unwilling  to  garrison  them.  And  when  the  blood  of 
helpless  women  and  children  had  thus  been  shed,  would 
not  those  seiuitors  feel  bitter  remorse,  who,  by  op[)osuig 
a  measure  so  necessary  and  so  salutary  as  that  now  be- 
fore the  Senate,  had,  to  a  certain  extent,  made  them- 
selves sharers  in  that  blood? 

"  Mr.  L.  had  repeatedly  heard  ic  said,  that  Missouri 
would  find  ample  compensation,  in  the  vast  expenditure 
of  public  money  on  her  borders,  for  the  evils  tliat  might 
grow  out  of  the  congregation  of  such  fiery  and  dis- 
cordant tribes  of  Indians  cm  her  borders.  She  wanted 
wealth  from  no  such  sources.  The  God  of  nature  had 
been  most  bountiful  to  her ;  and  all  her  ])oj)ulation  ear- 
nestly desired,  was  to  be  left  in  peace  to  cultivate  the 
blessings  so  lavishly  showered  upovi  them.  Washed  on 
the  east  by  '  the  Fatiier  of  Waters,'  some  of  whose 
tributaries  inosculat(;  with  the  silver  lakes  of  th(>  north  ; 
divided  into  nearly  e(|unl  ])arts  by  the  mighty  Missouri 
river,  whose  sources  lie  hid  in  the  recesses  and  caves  of 
tlie  Rocky  Mountains,  where  silence  loves  to  keep  her 


1^  i»| 


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LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


long  millennium  of  unl  loken  repose  ;  a  rich  virgin  soil, 
mountains  pregnant  with  mineral  wealth ;  extensive 
plains  and  noble  forests — nuich  reason  has  she  for  re- 
joicing, but  let  her  rejoice  with  modesty." 

Mr.  Calhoun  remarked,  that  the  Senator  from  Mis- 
souri had  represented  the  Indians  in  his  neighborhood 
as  for  advanced  in  civilization,  yet  was  demanding 
troops  to  protect  his  constituents  against  their  ravages. 

Mr.  Linn  explained :  "  What  he  had  said  about 
advanced  civilization,  referred  not  to  the  body  of  In- 
dians on  the  frontiers  generally,  but  to  those  only  who 
were  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Leavenworth  ;  and  his  argu- 
ment had  been,  that,  if  similar  forts  should  be  distrib- 
uted at  short  distances  along  our  frontier,  the  same 
effects  might  be  hoped  for  on  a  wider  scale." 
.  The  bill  then  passed  the  Senate,  26  to  13. 

No  one  will  doubt  that  Dr.  Linn  looked  forward 
with  fearfid  apprehension  to  the  consequences  that 
might  result  from  the  gathering  together  of  such  great 
numbers  of  Indians  upon  th'^  western  borders  of  Mis- 
souri, and  their  banding,  as  he  was  fearful  they  would, 
with  the  ferocious  and  warlike  tribes  of  the  plains  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  His  fears  have  not.  been  fiilly 
realized,  fortunately;  but  the  Government  has  prevented 
their  being  so,  at  least  in  part,  by  keeping  an  active 
and  vigilant  military  force  in  the  plains,  and  estabhsh- 
ing  and  garrisoning  forts  in  the  heart  of  the  Indian 


h 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


173 


country.  The  acquisition  of  California  and  Isew  Mex- 
ico., and  the  rapid  increase  of  the  emigrants  to  these 
countries  as  well  as  to  Oregon ;  the  increase  also  of  the 
trade  to  Santa  F6,  New  Mexico,  as  well  as  the  hostile 
demonstrations  of  some  of  the  Indians,  and  the  mur- 
ders and  depredations  continually  committed  by  others, 
rendered  such  a  measure  indispensable  to  the  safety  of 
persons  and  the  protection  of  property  on  the  frontiers 
and  in  the  Indian  country.  But  in  spite  of  this  mili- 
tary force,  many  murders  have  been  annually  connnit- 
ted,  and  nmcli  property  stolen  and  destroyed.  A  con- 
tinued war  has  existed  with  some  of  these  fierce  and 
warlike  tribes  occupying  a  part  of  Texas,  New  Mexico, 
and  Utah,  and  the  hostile  demonstrations  of  other  more 
northern  tribes  has  rendered  it  necessary  for  the  Gov- 
ernment to  throw  at  once  and  with  all  speed,  an  effec- 
tive force  into  their  country,  and  to  attack  and  disperse 
them. 

But  for  these  vigorous  measures,  the  necessity  of 
which  was  eloquently  and  forcibly  urged  by  Dr.  Linn, 
no  one  can  doubt  but  that  all  the  horrors  of  an  Indian 
war,  and  an  Indian  raid  upon  the  unprotected  white 
S(;tt]ements  exposed  to  their  incursions,  so  graphically 
and  truthfully  depicted  by  him,  would  have  been  real- 
ized, Well  he  knew,  that  nothing  but  force  and  fear 
would  restrain  them  from  indulging  their  natural  blood- 
thirsty disposition ;  and  that,  to  produce  fear,  the  force 


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174 


LIFE   OF   DR     LINN. 


must  be  present  or  visible,  and  be  sufficient  to  inspire 
them  with  awe.  He  knew  the  Indian  character  most 
thoroughly  ;  and  that  he  could  never  be  civilized,  so 
long  as  he  was  permitted  to  carry  and  use  his  toma- 
hawk arid  rifle ;  that  he  could  never  be  Christianized 
until  he  had  become  domiciled,  and  had  learned  to  de- 
pend upcm  the  earth  for  his  sustenance,  rather  than 
upon  robbery  and  the  chase.  The  only  mode  of  civil- 
izing savages  is  by  teaching  them  to  cultivate  the  earth  ; 
to  raise  flocks  and  herds,  and  to  confine  themselves  to 
the  spot  they  cultivate,  instead  of  roaming  about.  And 
it  is  the  veriest  waste  of  effort,  time,  and  expense,  to 
attempt  to  Christianize  them,  imtil  they  have  acquired 
agricultural  habits.  The  hunter  has  no  Sabbath,  and 
no  church,  save  that  not  made  with  hands,  and  covered 
by  the  canopy  of  heaven.  He  may  have  renounced  his 
false  gods,  and  professed  his  belief  in  the  true  God  and 
His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  may  have  done  so  sincerely ; 
but  let  him  go  afterwards  into  the  woods  or  prairies  to 
hunt,  and  meet  with  bad  luck,  and  he  will  at  once 
attribute  it  to  the  anger  of  his  object  of  worship,  what- 
ever that  be,  and  will  take  such  means  as  his  ignorance 
and  superstition  prompt,  to  appease  the  anger  of  his 
god  and  propitiate  his  favor.  What  then  becomes  of 
his  CluMstianity  ?  It  is  gone.  Should  it  chance,  then, 
that  this  son  of  the  forest,  immediately  after,  or  during 
the  day,  was  lucky  enough  to  discover  and  capture  a 


It 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


175 


(leer,  buffiilo,  moose,  elk,  or  other  game,  would  he  not 
attribute  his  change  of  fortune  to  his  having  discarded 
his  new  religion,  and  sacrificed  to  the  spirit  to  which  he 
and  his  fathere  had  always  paid  homage  ?  Undoubt- 
edly such  would  l)e  his  conchision. 

The  condition  of  the  Indian  population  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Tort  Leavenworth,  as  described  by  Dr.  Linn,  is 
the  condition  in  which  they  are  almost  invariably  found 
when  compelled  to  rely  upon  the  productions  of  the 
earth  for  subsistence,  are  prevented  from  leading  a 
roaming,  vagabond  life,  are  taught  how  to  cultivate  the 
soil,  furnished  at  first  Avith  agricultural  implements,  and 
have  with  them  white  men  to  teach  them  various  me- 
chanic arts,  and  to  make  and  repair  their  agricultural 
tools.  Without  this  aid,  instruction,  and  encourage- 
ment, they  are  imable  to  surmount  the  first  difficidties 
of  their  new  mode  of  life ;  become  discouraged  and 
disheartened ;  will  not  apply  themselves  to  labor,  resort 
to  drink,  petty  thefts,  and  vagabondism,  and  drag  out 
a  miserable  existence,  constantly  diminishing  in  num- 
bers, until  what  was  once  Ji  powerful,  warlike  tribe,  ter- 
rible in  its  numbers  and  ferociousness,  is  dwindled 
down  to  half  a  dozen  families  of  miserable,  ragged, 
half-starved,  wandering  beggars  and  pilferers,  more  like 
gypsies  in  their  appearance  and  habits,  than  the  well- 
formed,  dauntless,  bloodthirtsy  red  men  with  whom 
our  ancestors  had  so  often  to  grapple  in  deadly  conflict. 


i  (  Mj 


M  » 


III 


t  '1 


.i 


w 


w 


i^yr 


III 


.    H^ 


176 


LIFE   OF   Dll.    LINN. 


from  whom  tlicsc  miserable  remnants  descended.  If 
our  Government  would  prevent  the  red  men  from  being 
swept  away  entirely,  and  becoming  an  extinct  race,  it 
nmst  be  by  teaching  them  the  arts  of  civilization,  and 
compelling  them  to  draw  their  subsistence  from  the 
bosom  of  mother  earth.  They  nuist  be  taught  to  de- 
pend upon  the  products  of  their  own  labor,  and  to  re- 
spect the  property  of  others ;  to  learn  the  law  of  mciwi 
and  tuurn,  the  foundation  of  all  civilization.  Wherever 
this  has  been  done  under  the  auspices  of  the  Federal 
Government,  it  has  been  attended  with  the  most  grati- 
fying results.  By  no  other  process  or  system  can  the 
red  man  be  civilized,  and  saved  from  the  doom  that 
seems  to  threaten  hhn. 

With  this,  the  24tli  Congress,  closed  the  eight 
years'  admhiistration  of  Gen.  Jackson,  of  whom  Dr. 
Linn  was  a  most  ardent  and  devoted  personal  and  po- 
litical friend.  Warm  in  his  temperament,  sincere  in 
his  attachments,  giving  his  whole  heart  where  he  gave 
his  confidence,  brave  and  chivalrous  himself,  and  an 
admirer  of  hei'oic  courage  and  noble  daring  in  others, 
it  is  not  surprising  that  Dr.  Linn  should  have  felt  that 
almost  filial  attachment  and  veneration  for  the  Hero 
and  the  Chief  Magistrate,  which  all  knew  him  to  feel, 
and  which  the  latter  so  w'armly  reciprocated.  In  his 
speech  on  the  bill  to  iiulemnify  General  Jackson  for  the 
fine  imposed  upon  him  at  New  Orleans  in  1815,  made 


HV  h  • 


■ 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


177 


several  years  after  tliis,  he  gave  utterance  to  his  feehngs 
towards  him  in  the  following  language :  "  I  would 
have  avoided,"  lie  said,  "  if  possible,  saying  any  thing  in 
reference  to  the  deeds  of  General  Jackson ;  neither  do 
I  Avish  to  point  the  Senate  to  the  halo  with  which  those 
deeds  have  surrounded  his  veneral^le  head,  and  illumi- 
nated his  country.  My  voice  will  not  be  heard  in 
utterance  of  his  praise,  to  induce  senators  to  support 
the  bill  which  they  are  now  considering.  Nor  is  it  ne- 
cessary ;  for  even  those  .vho  have  opposed  obstacles  to 
its  passage,  have  admitted  his  just  claim  to  honor  and 
fame,  and  the  gratitude  of  his  countrymen.  His 
actions  proclahii  for  themselves  their  enduring  fame ; 
gratitude  has  stu  nped  them  upon  our  memories ;  and 
the  true  and  steady  hand  of  History  will  grave  them 
deeply  upon  her  imperishable  talilets.  His  good  name 
cannot  noio  be  sullied  ;  it  is  placed  in  the  scroll  which 
contains  the  list  of  those  whom  freemen  and  patriots 
delight  to  honor.  His  reputntion,  like  a  star,  far  above 
the  clouds  of  detraction  which  float  around  cur  censo- 
rious world,  will  shine  with  brighter  radiance  as  the 
flight  of  time  shall  hallow  his  memory.  *  *  *  » 
His  country  has  manifested  its  confidence  in  his  up- 
rightness, by  bestowing  upon  him  the  highest  office  in 
tlie  gift  of  the  people — and  that  confidence  they  have 
never  had  cause  to  repent.  His  history  should  be- 
come familiar  t')  the  youth  of  our  land ;  it  furnishes 
.2 


f^'i '  f 


"  I; 


'<! 


r 


i8i» 


i 


178 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


one  of  the  best  examples  l)y  whieh  to  shape  their  course 
as  citizens  of  the  RepuhHc ;  and  presents,  in  the  most 
prominent  manner,  that  great  reward  Avliich  is  extended 
to  honesty  of  purpose,  disinterested  love  of  country, 
and  persevering  efforts  to  promote  its  welfare — a  re- 
ward greater  than  that  which  has  ever  been  given  by 
any  other  country  to  any  man  for  like  v»vtues." 

The  esteem  in  which  Dr.  Linn  was  held  by  General 
Jackson,  will  be  seen  by  his  letters  both  to  the  Doctor 
and  to  Mrs.  Linn,  given  in  a  subsequent  part  of  this 
volume.  Love  and  esteem  were  n-^ver  unreciprocated 
by  him,  but  ever  touched  a  responsive  chord  in  his 
warm  and  manly  heart.  They  parted  at  Washington, 
on  General  Jackson's  leaving  that  city  for  the  Hermi- 
tage, never  to  meet  again. 


m^ 


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pi 

I' 


y.f 


m 


CHAPTER   III. 


1  ( '"• 


H 


;:  I, 


On  the  4th  of  March,  1837,  Ociiornl  Jackson  bade 
acheii  to  pubhc  life,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  Presiden- 
tial office,  which  he  had  filled  for  eight  years, — the  last 
who  held  the  office  for  two  terms, — ^by  Mr.  Van  Buren. 
The  commencement  of  Mr.  Van  Bnren's  term  was  sig- 
nalized by  an  extraordinary  revulsion  in  the  monetary 
affairs  of  the  country.  On  the  7th  of  May,  the  Banks 
in  Philadelphia  stopped  specie  payments,  and  the  mon- 
eyed institutions  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  country  im- 
mediately followed  their  example.  A  universal  alarm 
was  felt ;  a  conunercial  crisis  of  a  most  serious  charac- 
ter followed,  and  deranged  and  depressed  all  kinds  of 
business  for  an  unusual  period.  Such  was  the  condi- 
tion of  the  country,  that  the  President  deemed  it  ad- 
visable to  call  aT.  extra  session  of  Congress  in  Septem- 
ber;  but  this  '^ccmed  rather  to  incre''r;3  the  general 
"hard  times,'  hisi^ad  of  relieving  them.  Mr.  Linn 
took  a  lively  inl  crest  in  all  these  pidjlic  matters,  but  as 


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WnSTIX.N.Y.  USM 

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180 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


he  did  not  participate  prominently  in  the  debates  which 
took  place  at  the  extra  and  subsecjuent  session,  I  deem 
it  proper  to  pass  these  over  without  entering  into  a  cir- 
cumstantial account  of  them.  Other  subjects  not  of  a 
party  character,  chiefly  occupied  his  attention ;  and 
among  these  was  the  introduction  and  promotion  of  the 
growth  of  tropical  and  fibrous  plants  in  Florida.  His 
friend.  Dr.  Perrine,  who  had  been  U.  S.  Consul  at 
Campeachy,  where  he  had  had  favorable  opportunities  of 
becoming  acquainted  Avith  the  nature,  value,  mode  of 
cultivation,  &c.,  of  the  plants  proposed  to  be  introduced 
into  Florida,  had  devoted  himself  zealously  to  this  sub- 
ject, and  had  become  persuaded  that  he  might  render 
his  country  an  important  service  by  introducing  and 
cultivating  these  plants  in  the  United  States  ;  he  had 
also  induced  Dr.  Linn  to  lend  his  aid  in  accomplishing 
the  important  and  patriotic  object,  convinced,  as  the 
latter  was,  that  the  plan  was  eminently  practical,  and 
that  results  of  the  most  important  and  beneficial  char- 
acter would  follow  its  execution. 

Accordingly,  Dr.  Linn  introduced  a  bill  at  the 
second  session  of  the  25th  Congress,  "  to  encourage  the 
introduction  and  promote  the  cultivation  and  growth  of 
tropical  plants,"  and  in  a  few  days  thereafter  he  made 
a  report  upon  the  subject,  which  attracted  much  at- 
tention, especially'  at  the  South.  The  report  was 
founded  upon  a  memorial  presented  to  the  Senate  by 


1','  I 


LIFE    UF    DR.    LINN. 


181 


])r.  Perrine,  which  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Agriculture.  The  committee,  through  Dr.  Linn,  say 
that,  "  In  obedience  to  the  Treasury  CirciUar  of  the 
Gth  of  September,  1827,  Dr.  Henry  Perrine  appears  to 
be  the  only  American  Consul  who  has  perseveringly 
devoted  his  head,  heart  and  hands  to  the  subject  of 
introducing  tropical  plants  in  the  United  States ;  and 
liis  voluminous  manuscripis  alone  exhibit  a  great 
amount  of  labor  and  research  which  promise  to  be 
highly  beneficial  to  our  common  country.  The  memo- 
rialist founds  his  hopes  of  final  success  for  the  inune- 
(liate  pro[)ag{itioii,  and  subsequent  cultivation  of  tropical 
plants  in  Florida,  on  four  leading  facts:  1.  Many 
\  aluable  vegetables  of  ths  tropics  do  actually  propagate 
tliemselves  in  the  worst  soils  and  situations,  in  the  sun 
and  in  the  shade  of  every  tropical  region,  where  a  sin- 
gle plant  arrives  by  accident  or  design,  2.  For  other 
profitable  plants  of  the  tropics  which  require  human 
skill  or  care,  moisture  is  equivalent  to  manure,  for  trop- 
ical cultivation  essentially  consists  in  appropriate  irriga- 
tion. 3.  A  tropical  clhnate  extends  into  Southern 
Florida,  so  peculiarly  fa^  orable  to  human  health  and 
vegetable  growth,  that  tlu^  fertility  and  benignity  of  its 
atmos{)here  will  counterbilance  the  sterility  and  malig- 
nity of  its  soil.  4.  The  inundated  marshes  and  miry 
swamps  of  the  interior  of  Southern  Florida  are  more 
elevated  than  the  arid  sands  and  untillable  rocks  on 


aft':! 


182 


LIFK    OP   Dll.    LINN. 


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the  coast ;  and  hence  the  same  canals  which  may  drain 
the  former  will  irrigate  the  latter,  and  aiford  the  aj)pr()- 
priato  i)roi)ortion  of  moisture  for  both.  The  memo- 
rialist founds  his  hopes  of  success  for  the  gradual  accli- 
mation  of  many  profitable  plants  of  the  tropics, 
throughout  at  least  all  oiu*  southern  and  southwestern 
States,  on,  ]  st,  the  general  history  of  all  tropical  plants, 
whoso  cultivation  has  been  gradually  extended  towards 
the  poles ;  2d,  the  particular  history  of  our  great  sta- 
ples of  the  south  and  soutliAvest,  viz.,  tropical  rice, 
tobacco,  cotton,  and  sugar ;  and  3d,  the  important  fact 
that  kindred  species  of  many  profitable  plants,  whicli 
will  be  still  more  important  objects  of  affricuUiirc,  are 
indigenous  to  our  worst  soils  between  the  Potomac  and 


* 


the  Mississippi,  viz.,  of  Agava  and  Yucca. 
In  relation  to  the  immediate  propagation  of  tropical 
plants  in  tropical  Florida,  on  the  most  arid,  the  most 
humid,  and  hitherto  most  worthless  soils,  the  conimit- 
tee  exjjressed  their  conviction  and  belief  from  the  facts 
and  statements  presented  to  them:  and  they  further 
expressed  their  confidence  in  the  possibility  of  accli- 
mating at  least  the  fibrous-leaved  plants,  whose  folia- 
ceous  fibres  are  superior  substitutes  for  flax  and  hemp. 
"  Hitherto,"  say  the  committee,  "  Southern  Florida  has 
been  considered  so  sickly  and  so  sterile,  as  to  be  im- 
worthy  the  expense  and  trouble  of  siu'veying  and  of 
sale ;  and  even  now  it  is  seriously  contended  that  this 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


183 


section  of  the  tenitory  is  uninha])itable  by  the  wliite 
man,  and  should  therefore  be  abandoned  to  the  savages 
and  runaway  negroes  from  the  neighboring  States. 
******     g^^  jf  ^j^jj  suggestions  of  the 

memorialist,  and  if  his  experiments  shouhl  ])e  success- 
ful, the  arid  sands  and  arid  rocks,  and  mangrove  thick- 
ets of  the  coast,  the  miry  marshes,  pestilential  swamps, 
and  impenetrable  morasses  of  the  interior,  may  all,  ulti- 
mately, "'  e  covered  by  a  dense  population  of  small  cul- 
tivators and  of  family  manufacturers ;  and  tropical 
Florida  will  thus  form  a  well-garrisoned  bulwark  against 
invasion  in  every  shape  and  shade.  ***** 
By  the  introduction  of  such  new  staples  as  can  be 
propagated  on  the  worst  soils  of  the  old  States  more 
profitably  than  their  old  staples  can  be  cultivated  on 
the  best  soils  of  the  new  States,  emigration  from  the 
South  will  be  prevented,  and  even  the  ruined  fields  and 
barren  wastes  will  become  covered  with  a  dense  popu- 
lation of  small  cultivators ;  and  that  rural  population 
may  be  tripled  by  the  employment  of  new  staples  in 
the  really  domestic  manufactures  of  their  farms,  fami- 
lies, and  females.  At  all  events,  the  numerous  small 
cultivators  of  the  South  would  thus  be  enabled  to  fur- 
nish the  cheapest  possible  new  materials  for  the  numer- 
ous small  manufacturers  of  the  North,  and  woiUd  hence 
create,  mutually,  a  profitable  and  harmonious  depend- 
ence on  each  other,  of  the  great  pacific  masses  of  pop- 


184 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


t  t 


Ui' 


Illation  in  both  sections  of  the  Union.  With  these 
views  of  the  national  importance  of  the  enterprise 
of  Dr.  Perrine,  the  committee  determined  to  report  a 
bill  of  such  a  character  as  would,  in  their  opinion,  offer 
barely  a  sufficient  inducement  for  him  to  undert.ike  the 
ex[)eriment  proposed  by  him,  of  introducing  certain 
fibrous  plants  into  Florida,  and  attempting  their  culti- 
vation. 

"  In  other  countries,"  the  committee  remark,  "  an 
midertaking  of  such  magnitude  is  the  especial  duty  of 
the  Government ;  but  in  the  United  States,  we  are  in- 
debted to  individual  zeal  and  perseverance  for  the 
origin  and  prosecution  of  the  grandest  plans  of  national 
utility." 

"  From  the  specimens  of  fibrous-leaved  plants  and 
foliaceous  fibres  submitted  to  the  committee,"  they  ex- 
pressed their  confident  belief,  that  "  if  they  could  be 
propagated  in  Southern  Florida,  of  which  they  had  no 
reasonable  doubt,  they  will  form  highly  important  addi- 
tions to  the  agricultiu-e,  manufactures,  and  commerce  of 
the  Union." 

This  report  was  accompanied  by  a  large  mass  of 
manuscripts  prepared  by  Dr.  Perrine,  giving  the  his- 
tory, mode  of  cultivation,  botanical  character,  the  kinds 
of  soil,  climate,  &c.,  &c.,  necessary  for  the  growth  and 
successful  propagation  of  the  various  kinds  of  plants 
proposed  to  be  introduced  into  Southern  Florida,  which 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


185 


information  the  Doctor  had  spent  many  hiborious  years 
in  ac(iuiring,  and  which  was  not  Hkcly  to  be  under- 
rated by  Dr.  Linn.  If  Dr.  Perrine's  hopes  were  well 
founded,  and  not  too  sanguine,  if  his  plan  could  be 
carried  into  practical  operation,  a  service  would  be  ren- 
dered to  his  country  of  incalculable  value.  Doctor 
Linn  saw  this,  and  could  perceive  no  insurmountable 
obstacle  in  the  Avay  of  the  realization  of  Dr.  P.'s  most 
sanguine  hopes.  He  himself  was  moved  by  an  ardent 
and  patriotic  desire  to  secure  so  great  a  benefit  to  his 
country,  to  add  new  and  valuable  staples  to  her  pro- 
ductions, to  increase  her  domestic  manufactures,  and  to 
convert  arid  sands  and  rocks,  miry  swamps  and  quag- 
mires, drowned  lands,  and  almost  impenetrable  morasses, 
into  fruitful,  healthful,  smiling  fields  and  densely  settled 
plantations. 

The  object  was  worthy  the  attention,  ambition,  and 
labor  of  a  patriot  statesman  :  it  was  to  make  a  thousand 
blades  of  grass  grow  where  none  grew  before ;  to  con- 
vert steriUty  into  productiveness  ;  a  desolate  waste  into 
blooming  fields,  and  pestilential  swamps  into  healthfid 
habitations.  What  higher  or  more  noble  motive  could 
actuate  or  stimulate  a  pjitriotic  heart  ?  What  Ameri- 
can will  not  deeply  lament  that,  after  spending  years 
of  toil,  anxiety,  apprehension  and  suspense,  in  endeav- 
oring to  attain  his  great  object,  and  wish  of  his  heart, 
Dr.  Perrine  should  have  fallen  a  victim  to  savage  fero- 


i;i! 


186 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


city,  as  lie  was  about  to  prove  the  feasibility  of  his  un- 
dertaking and  the  justness  of  his  conclusions.  But  the 
importance  of  his  life  and  labors  could  not  stay  the 
hand  of  the  murderous  savage,  and  he  was  cut  down 
by  those  who  regard  neither  age,  sex  nor  condition. 
The  Indians  saw  in  him  only  an  intruder  into  their 
country ;  they  looked  upon  him  as  one  of  the  nation 
with  whom  thoy  were  at  war,  and  whose  blood  it  de- 
lighted them  to  shed.  With  these  feelings  of  hatred 
and  revenge,  the  bullet  was  sped,  and  his  earthly  labors 
were  closed. 

Dr.  Perrine  having  been  thus  cut  ofF  in  the  midst 
of  his  career  of  usefulness,  and  when,  as  he  confidently 
believed,  he  was  about  to  reap  the  reward  of  his  many 
years  of  toil,  anxiety,  and  perseverance,  and  enjoy  the 
fruition  of  his  hopes,  there  was  no  one  to  carry  on  his 
great  work,  which  was  therefore  arrested  at  the  point 
to  which  he  had  brought  it.  He  had  commenced  the 
cultivation  of  some  of  the  plants  he  designed  to  intro- 
duce into  Florida,  and  to  cultivate,  but  they  were  left 
unattended  to  or  cared  for ;  one  of  them  at  least,  how- 
ever, the  yi^ave  Jmericana,  found  a  genial  soil  and  cU- 
mate,  in  which  it  now  grows  with  great  vigor  and  lux- 
uriance, and  may  some  day  become  a  source  of  agri- 
cultural and  manufacturing  profit  to  the  people  of  that 
section ;  indeed,  it  would  be  so  now  but  that,  on  ac- 
count of  the  great  cheapness  of  labor  in  Venezuela  and 


■'!'!  ;:■ 


ii^i.d 


LIFE   OF    DR.  LINN. 


187 


other  tropical  American  countries  from  whence  the  plant 
was  brought  by  Dr.  Perrine,  it  can  be  raised  and  man- 
ufactured into  sissal  hemp  at  a  less  cost  than  it  can  be 
at  this  time  in  Florida. 

There  were  those  who  doubted  the  feasibility  of  suc- 
cessfully transferring  the  plants  proposed  to  be  intro- 
duced and  cidtivated  in  Florida  by  Dr.  Perrine,  and  of 
making  them  profitable  productions.  Dr.  P.,  however, 
had  confidence  in  the  undertaking,  and  saw  in  its  suc- 
cess a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  agricultural  and  man- 
ufacturing resources  of  his  country.  Should  the  ex- 
periment succeed,  he  would  have  rendered  his  country 
a  most  important  and  lasting  service,  that  of  turning 
arid  sands  and  rocks,  and  pestilential  fens  and  morasses, 
into  blooming,  healthful,  and  profitable  fields.  But 
suppose  the  experiment  should  fail  r  he  alone  would 
suffer  pecuniarily ;  he  alone  would  feel  the  mortification 
attendant  upon  the  disappointment ;  the  country  woidd 
have  suffered  no  detriment.  He  possessed,  however, 
that  ardent,  sanguine  temperament,  that  confidence  in 
his  own  judgment,  and  that  pereeverance  in  whatever 
he  undertook,  which  were  calculated  to  insure  success, 
and  without  which  no  great  enterprise,  no  important 
national  work  was  ever  achieved.  In  Dr.  Linn,  he 
found  a  genial  spirit,  and  a  friend  who  wannly  sympa- 
thized with  him,  became  convinced  of  the  feasibility  of 
his  enterjnise,  and  lent  him  his  aid  in  every  possible 


f '1 


188 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


S-J.I 


way  he  could,  to  enable  Iiim  to  accomplish  his  patriotic 
purpose. 

Like  Dr.  Perrine's  undertaking,  the  introduction 
an<l  cultivation  of  cotton,  sugar,  wheat,  and  various 
other  valuable  plants,  not  indigenous  to  the  country,  was 
an  experiment ;  so  also  was  the  introduction  and  growth 
of  the  silkworm,  and  the  production  of  silk,  from  China 
or  the  East  Indies,  first  hito  Italy,  and  subsequently 
into  France  and  other  European  countries.  It  is  the 
enterprising  and  sanguine  spirits  of  the  country,  like 
Dr.  Perrine,  who  take  the  lead  in  making  such  experi- 
ments, and  who,  in  case  of  success,  become  public  ben- 
efactors ;  who  confer  immense  and  perpetual  benefits 
and  blessings  upon  their  country,  mthout  the  sacrifice 
of  n  hecatombs,  and  the  drenching  her  soil  in  the 

blooa  oi  her  own  or  any  other  people ;  and  in  view  of 
this,  we  may  well  say,  that  peace  has  her  victories  and 
triumphs  as  well  as  war.  Had  Dr.  Perrine's  life  been 
spared  to  carry  forward  his  experiment  to  a  successful 
issue,  as  we  can  hardly  doubt  would  have  been  the  re- 
sult of  his  labors,  it  is  not  easy  to  estimate  the  benefits 
that  would  have  accrued  to  the  southern  portion  of 
Florida,  and  the  addition  that  would  have  been  made 
to  our  staple  productions  and  profitable  industrial  pur- 
suits. 

Dr.  Linn  heard  with  deep  and  sincere  regret  of  the 
fate  that  had  befallen  his  friend,  and  put  a  stop  to  the 


'J . 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


189 


enterprise  in  wl»ich  he  felt  so  lively  an  interest ;  but  he 
WHS  not  destined  long  to  sunive  him,  and  was,  like  his 
friend,  destined  to  fall  in  the  midst  of  his  usefulness, 
and  in  the  prime  of  manhood. 

One  great  object  Dr.  Linn  hoped  woiJd  be  accom- 
plished by  promoting  the  enterprise  of  Dr.  Perrine,  was 
the  draining  of  the  fens,  swamps,  and  morasses  of  Flor- 
ida, and  converting  them  from  pestilential,  uninhabit- 
able regions,  into  the  smiling  and  healthful  abodes  of 
a  numerous  and  industrious  population.  The  same  de- 
sire to  confer  blessuigs  and  benefits  upon  his  fellow- 
citizens,  prompted  him  to  make  an  early  proposition, 
that  the  Federal  Government  should  convey  the  lands 
in  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  entirely  and  partially  covered 
every  year  with  water  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render 
them  not  only  untillable  in  their  present  condition,  but 
wholly  uninhabitable  on  account  of  their  pestilential 
character,  to  those  States,  upon  condition  of  their  being 
drained,  and  rendered  capable  of  being  cultivated. 

Dr.  Lhm,  in  pursuance  of  notice  given,  introduced, 
on  leave,  on  the  21st  of  Feb.,  1838,  a  bill  to  encourage 
and  promote  the  introduction  and  cultivation  of  tropical 
plants  in  Florida,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  on  the 
same  day  he  proposed  that  the  Committee  on  Public 
Lands  be  instructed  to  report  a  bill  granting  to  the 
States  all  the  unsurveyed  lands  withm  their  limits  cov- 
ered with  water. 


Pi 


; 


190 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


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It  was  well  known,  he  said,  that  large  portions  of 
land  in  some  of  the  States  were  at  times  covered  with 
water  to  an  immense  extent,  which  the  (iovcrnment 
officers  had  reported  as  not  worth  the  cost  of  survey. 
If  these  lands  Avere  ceded  to  the  States  in  which  they 
lie,  it  might  be  attended  with  the  most  beneficial  re- 
sults. Those  inundated  lands  were  a  curse  to  the 
States  ;  they  were  the  very  hot-beds  of  disease,  gene- 
rating that  dreadful  malaria  so  fatal  in  its  influence 
upon  the  surrounding  country.  If  all  such  were  given 
to  the  States,  at  least  such  as  were  deemed  unworthy 
the  cost  of  survey,  they  might  be  reclaimed,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  ill  effects  usually  arising  from  them. 

Upon  some  objection  being  made  to  this  propo- 
sition, Dr.  Linn  further  and  warmly  advocated  it  as 
wise  and  salutary.  The  lands  might  be  drained  and 
improved  by  the  States,  or  by  individuals  or  companies 
under  State  regulations,  but  they  never  would  be,  so 
long  as  they  belonged  to  the  General  Government ; 
and  as  they  were  returned  by  the  officers  of  the  United 
States  not  worth  the  cost  of  surveying  them,  Congress, 
in  giving  them  to  the  States  in  which  they  lie,  would  be 
bestowing  very  little  indeed. 

The  subject  having  been  laid  on  the  table,  nothing 
resulted  from  Dr.  L.'s  proposition  at  this  time.  But 
the  minds  of  senators  had  been  called  to  it ;  a  com- 
mencement had  been  made,  the  seed  had  been  dropped, 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


191 


and  ere  long  it  was  destined  to  spring  up  and  bear  fruit. 
A  few  years  after,  but  not  wliile  Dr.  L.  was  living,  a 
bill  passed  both  Houses,  and  became  a  law,  by  which 
the  drowned,  inundated,  or  swamp  lands  were  ceded  to 
the  States  respectively  in  which  they  were  situated  ;  a 
measure  wliich,  though  somewhat  abused,  has  been  and 
is  likely  to  be  productive  of  incalculable  benefit  to  these 
States.  Though  Dr.  Lum  did  not  hve  to  accomplish 
this  benevolent  and  wise  measure,  yet  he  is  entitled  to 
honor  and  praise  for  having  brought  it  forwitrd  and  ad- 
vocated its  adoption  from  those  States  in  which  these 
landt,  are  situated. 

The  subject  of  the  purchase  of  Mount  Veraon  hav- 
ing been  much  discussed  within  a  few  years  post,  and 
being  one  that  now  occupies  the  public  mind,  and  will 
continue  to  do  so,  probably,  until  the  property  shall 
come  into  possession  of  the  United  States,  or  the  State 
of  Virguiia,  it  is  due  to  the  memory  of  Dr.  Linn  to 
note  that,  on  the  4tli  of  January,  1838,  he  offered  a 
resolution  in  the  Senate,  which  was  adopted,  "  that  the 
Committee  on  Public  Lands  inquu-e  into- the  expedi- 
ency of  purchasing  the  Mount  Vernon  property,  now 
belonging  to  the  family  of  President  Washington,  for 
the  Government  of  the  United  States," 

Dr.  Linn  was  desirous  of  seeing  the  consecrated 
spot,  where  rested  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  illustrious 
Father  of  his  Country, — of  him  whose  fame  is  imper- 


M 


>> ! 


192 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


tiiii 


ishablc, — in  the  possession  of  that  country  in  wliose 
glorious  diadem  the  name  of  Washington  is  tlic  bright- 
est star,  lie  was  anxious  that  Mount  Vernon  should 
become  the  Mecca  of  the  Western  world,  and  that  it 
should  be  improved,  beautified,  and  adorned  in  a  man- 
ner befitting  the  resting-j)lace  of  the  most  illustrious  man 
the  world  had  produced.  He  considered  the  fame  of 
the  great  men  and  eminent  patriots  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  our  national  existence,  for  the  freedom  and 
independence  which  they  won  and  bequeathed  to  us, 
for  the  noble  constitution,  Avhich,  amidst  trying  diffi- 
culties, they  formed,  adopted,  and  established,  as  the 
choicest  and  most  hallowed  property  of  the  nation  ;  and 
in  proportion  as  we  venerate  the  mighty  spirits  who 
have  passed  away,  leaving  to  us  the  great  benefits  of 
their  wisdom  and  patriotic  labors,  aiul  cherish,  and 
teach  our  children  to  cherish  and  revere  their  memories, 
ill  that  proportion  shall  we  love  our  country,  and  value 
the  inestimable  birthright  privileges  and  blessings  for 
which  we  are  indebted  to  them. 

It  was  for  this  reason  that  he  desired  to  make 
Mount  Vernon, — hallowed  as  the  residence  and  as  the 
depository  of  the  remains  of  George  Washington, — 
the  place  of  resort  of  all  who  should  be  in  its  vicinity. 
That  the  ciwelling  should  be  preserved  as  it  was,  in  all 
its  unpretending  simplicity,  when  occupied  by  him  to 
whom  the  great  and  the  good  of  the  whole  civilized 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


193 


world  paid  the  homage  of  their  profound  respect  and 
admiration,  and  when  it  received  the  most  illustrious  as 
its  guests. 

If  the  purchase,  adornment,  and  sanctification  of 
the  home  of  Washington  could  more  largely  infuse 
into  the  hearts  of  the  American  people  the  great  prin- 
ciples which  guided  his  action  in  public  and  private 
life ;  if  it  could  be  the  means  of  inducing  them  to  study 
more  carefully  and  profoundly  the  maxims  and  precepts 
which  he  taught  them,  the  example  he  set  them,  the 
great  legacy  of  wisdom  and  advice  he  left  them  in  his 
Farewell  Address,  if  it  could  cause  them  to  "  lay  up  his 
words  in  their  hearts,  and  in  their  souls,  and  bind  them 
for  a  sign  upon  their  hands,  and  teach  them  to  their 
children,  speaking  of  them  when  sitting  in  their  houses, 
and  when  walking  by  the  way,  when  lying  down  and 
when  rising  up — to  write  them  upon  the  door-posts 
of  their  houses  and  upon  their  gates,"*  and  inspire 
them  with  a  more  animating  veneration  for  his  cha- 
racter, wisdom,  and  example, — if,  in  short,  it  could 
convert  that  dead  reverence  which  all  profess  to  feel 
for  his  great,  noble,  and  patriotic  traits  of  character, 
into  a  living,  active,  abiding,  and  animating  feeling, 
no  amount  r>f  money,  however  great,  would  be  ill-spent 
thereon. 

But  while  all  pay  lip-homage  to  the  wisdom  and 

*  Deuteronomy  xL  18,  19,  20. 
11 


tin 


1 


li 


194 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


K: 


patriotism  of  the  Father  of  his  Country,  how  few  pub- 
lic men  are  animated  by  his  desire  to  promote  the  wel- 
fare of  his  country,  regardless  of  his  own  private  inter- 
ests, and  follow  in  the  paths  which  he  labored  so 
anxiously  and  earnestly  to  make  smooth  and  plain  for 
all  who  should  come  after  him. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


One  of  the  subjects  which  Dr.  Linn  took  an  early,  deep 
and  lively  interest  in,  was  the  exclusion  of  the  British 
from  Oregon,  and  its  exclusive  occupation  by  the  Unit- 
ed States.  He  had  a  high  appreciation  of  that  coun- 
try, in  an  agricultural  and  commercial  point  of  view, 
and  being  well  satisfied  of  the  soundness  of  the  title  of 
the  United  States,  was  unwilling  she  should  be  even 
partially  dispossessed  of  it,  or  sliaic  her  possession  with 
a  country  having  no  title  there  whatever. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1838,  Mr.  Linn,  on  leave, 
introduced  a  bill  authorizing  the  occupation  of  the  Co- 
lumbia or  Oregon  river,  [estabUshing  a  territory  north 
of  latitude  42  degrees,  and  west  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, to  be  cal^d  the  Oregon  Territory ;  authorizing 
the  establishment  of  a  fort  on  that  river,  and  the  occu- 
pation of  the  countiy  by  the  military  force  of  the  Unit- 
ed States ;  establishing  a  port  of  entry,  and  requiring 
that  the  country  should  then  be  held  subject  to  the  rev- 


196 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


i  ■■■i. 


enue  laws  of  the  United  States ;  with  an  appropriation 
of  $50,000.] 

The  bill  having  been  read  twice,  Mr.  Linn  moved 
to  refer  it  to  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs.  He 
expressed  his  regret  that  some  other  senator  had  not 
moved  in  this  matter ;  he  had  failed  in  his  endeavor  to 
that  effect,  and  had  in  consequence  now  presented  the 
subject  himself  as  one  of  great  importance.  There  was 
reason  to  apprehend,  that  if  this  Territory  should  be 
neglected,  in  the  course  of  five  years  it  would  pass  from 
our  possession. 

Mr.  Clay,  of  Ky.,  said  he  thought  the  Senator  and 
the  committee  would  do  well  to  make  inquiries  as  to 
the  stipulations  of  the  present  treaty  with  Great  Bri- 
tain, and  whether  we  could  occupy  this  country  now 
without  giving  cause  of  offence.  The  country  had  been 
taken  possession  of  by  Great  Britain,  in  contravention 
of  the  treaty  of  Ghent.  There  was  a  clause  in  that 
treaty,  or  rather  a  word,  which  was  intended  to  cover 
this  identical  case,  connected  with  the  Oregon,  and 
which  covered  no  other  case.  It  was  founded  on  these 
circumstances :  a  settlement  had  been  made  on  the 
Oregon  by  Mr.  Astor,  and  the  establishment  was  called 
Astoria.  During  the  war,  it  was  taken  possession  of 
by  a  British  armed  vessel.  In  the  stipulation  of  mu- 
tual surrender  by  the  two  countries  of  places  taken 
during  the  war,  Mr.  C.  had  introduced  the  word  "pos- 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


197 


session,'*  as  descriptive  of  the  hold  which  we  had  on  the 
Oregon  country  prior  to  the  war.  Mr.  C.  hoped  the 
treaty  would  be  examined  before  any  decisive  step 
should  be  taken  on  the  subject. 

Mr.  Linn  said  he  was  aware  of  that  provision,  and 
it  was  his  intention  that  the  inquiry  should  be  made. 
He  designed  to  get  all  the  information  he  could  on  the 
subject,  and  lay  it  before  the  committee  or  the  Senate, 
that  the  Senate  might  make  such  modifications  of  the 
bill  as  they  should  think  proper.  He  desired  the  bill 
to  be  made  as  perfect  as  it  could  be. 

Mr.  Lyon,  of  Michigan,  said  he  knew  one  of  his 
constituents  who  was  desirous  of  going  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  for  the  purpose  of  settling  and  carry- 
ing on  a  farm  there. 

Mr.  Buchanan  said,  he  was  very  glad  the  Senator 
from  Missouri  had  moved  in  this  business ;  and  he  had 
done  himself  injustice,  when  he  said  it  might  have  been 
moved  more  appropriately  by  another  person.  The 
time  had  come  when  we  ought  to  assert  our  right  to 
the  Oregon  country,  or  abandon  it  for  ever.  We  know, 
by  information  received  from  an  agent  of  the  Govem- 
nient,  that  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  are  establishing 
forts  in  that  quarter,  cutting  down  the  timber,  and  con- 
veying it  to  market,  and  acquiring  the  allegiance  of  the 
Indian  tribes ;  and  while  they  had  been  thus  proceed- 
ing, we  had  patiently  looked  on  during  a  long  period 


s. 


198 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


of  years.  Our  right  ought  to  be  now  asserted ;  but  it 
should  be  done  in  a  prudent  and  delicate  manner.  We 
were  obliged  by  the  treaty  to  give  a  year's  notice.  The 
time  had  arrived  to  settle  the  question,  and  there  were 
too  many  such  questions  unsettled  with  the  British 
Government  already.  While  we  should  be  careful  to 
violate  no  treaty  stipulations,  we  ought  promptly  to 
assert  our  right  to  this  country. 

Mr.  Benton  urged  the  propriety  of  having  this 
subject  referred  to  a  select  committee,  of  which  his  col- 
league should  be  the  chairman ;  he  knew  of  no  one 
better  qualified. 

Mr.  Linn,  after  some  demurring,  assented,  with- 
drew his  motion  of  reference  to  the  Military  Commit- 
tee, and  the  subject  was  referred  to  a  select  committee 
of  five,  consisting  of  Mr.  Linn,  Mr.  Preston,  Mr. 
Walker,  Mr.  Pierce,  and  Mr.  Wall. 


Shortly  after,  with  the  view  to  obtain  all  the  infor- 
mation upon  this  subject  within  his  reach,  Mr.  Linn 
submitted  a  resolution,  which  was  adopted,  that  the 
Secretary  of  War  be  requested  to  send  to  the  Senate 
all  the  information  in  the  possession  of  this  Department 
which  may  relate  to  the  Oregon  Territory ;  and  also 
that  he  cause  to  be  made  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  a 
map  embracing  recent  discoveries  of  all  the  country 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


199 


claimed  by  the  United  States  in  the  western  slope  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Having  taken  the  lead  in  this  important  matter, 
and  being  placed  at  the  head  of  the  select  committee 
to  whom  the  subject  was  referred,  Dr.  Linn  set  himself 
to  work  to  obtain  all  the  information  in  his  power,  and 
to  embody  it  in  a  report  to  the  Senate.  The  prepara- 
tion of  this  report  required  some  months,  and  it  was 
presented  to  the  Senate  on  the  6th  of  June  ;  and  as  it 
was  a  work  of  much  labor,  and  embodies  much  inter- 
esting information  in  regard  to  that  country,  I  have 
deemed  it  proper  to  make  some  extracts  from  it,  which 
will  be  found  not  without  interest  at  the  present  day,  as 
it  is  mostly  historical. 


EXTRACTS   FROM    DR.   LINN  S   REPORT. 

"  The  attention  of  the  Government  has  been,  on 
several  occasions,  called  to  this  important  subject  [the 
occupation  of  the  Oregon  Territory]  by  bills  and  reso- 
lutions, through  able  and  elaborate  reports  from  commit- 
tees of  Congress,  and  in  various  executive  communica- 
tions. We  wiU  not  ascend  higher  in  the  legislative  his- 
tory of  this  Territory  than  the  last  annual  message  of 
President  Monroe,  in  which  he  says  :  *  In  looking  to  the 
interests  which  the  United  States  have  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  on  the  western  coast  of  this  continent,  the 


!  J 


200 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


?■ :  ' 


propriety  of  establishing  a  military  post  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  river,  or  at  some  other  point  in  that 
qua'1;er  within  our  acknowledged  limits,  is  submitted 
to  the  consideration  of  Congress.  Our  commerce  and 
fisheries  on  that  sea,  and  along  that  coast,  have  much 
increased,  and  are  increasing.  It  is  thought  that  a 
military  post,  to  which  our  ships  of  war  might  resort, 
would  afford  protection  to  every  interest,  and  have  a 
tendency  to  conciliate  the  tribes  of  the  north-west,  with 
whom  our  trade  is  extensive.  It  is  thought,  also,  that 
by  the  establishment  of  such  a  post,  the  intercourse 
between  our  Western  States  and  territories  and  the  Pa- 
cific, and  our  trade  with  the  tribes  residing  in  the  inte- 
rior, on  each  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  would  be 
essentially  protected.  To  carry  this  object  into  effect, 
the  appropriation  of  an  adequate  sum  to  authorize  the 
employment  of  a  frigate,  with  an  ofl&cer  of  the  corps 
of  engineers  to  explore  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river, 
and  the  coast  contiguous  thereto,  to  enable  the  Execu- 
tive to  make  such  establishment  at  the  most  suitable 
point,  is  recommended  to  Congress.' 

"  Such  were  the  views  of  an  enlightened  statesman 
and  patriot.  The  administration  which  succeeded,  took 
up  this  matter,  and  it  became  the  subject  of  negotia- 
tion between  the  Government  of  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  in  which  nothing  was  done  definitively  to 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


201 


settle  the  claims  of  the  parties.  This  correspondence 
was  marked  by  great  ubiUty. 

"  The  lapse  of  time  and  the  progress  of  events  in 
that  quarter  of  the  continent  which  are  unfriendly  to 
the  interests  of  the  United  States,  require,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  your  committee,  action  on  the  part  of  this  Gov- 
ernment, as  prompt  and  decided  as  may  be  consistent 
with  the  peace  and  good  understanding  which  now  ex- 
ist,  and  we  sincerely  hope  will  ever  continue  to  exist, 
between  England  and  the  United  States,  who  have  so 
many  reasons  to  wish  its  contimlance. 

"  President  Jackson,  aware  of  the  importance  of  this 
country  to  our  best  interests,  employed  a  special  agent 
to  proceed  to  the  territory  in  question,  who  was  charged 
with  the  duty  of  examining  into  its  political,  physi- 
cal, and  geographical  condition." 

The  committee  then  gave  the  instructions  which 
Mr.  Slocum,  the  special  agent,  received  from  Mr.  j'or- 
syth,  Secretary  of  State,  and  mention  that  he,  on  the 
1st  of  June,  1836,  proceeded  to  comply  with  these  in- 
structions. They  then  state  the  title  of  the  United 
States  to  this  country. 

"  The  vaUdity  of  the  title  of  the  United  States  to 
the  territory  on  the  northwest  coast,  between  the  lati- 
tude of  42°  to  49°,  is  not  questioned  by  any  power 
except  Great  Britain.  The  3d  article  of  the  treatf  of 
Washington,  of  2 2d  February,  1819,  between  the  Uni- 


t') 


p,_:'  .  M.V'.Hir-'ory  Dapt. 

pROv.HClAL.   L.1BRARY 
VICTORIA,  B.  C, 


202 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


ted  States  and  Spain,  established  their  mutual  bound- 
ary line  on  the  parallel  of  42" ;  and  from  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  Spain  made  a  formal 
and  full  relinquishment  of  all  claim  north  of  that  line. 
The  southernmost  point  to  which  Russia  claims  on  that 
coast  was  fixed  by  her  treaty  with  Great  Britain  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1825,  at  54°  40'.  By  the  provisions  of  these 
two  treaties,  the  space  between  the  Spanish  boundary 
north,  at  42°,  and  the  Russian  boundary  south,  at 
54°  40',  is  entirely  unclaimed  except  by  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain.  The  respective  claims  of 
these  two  powers  have  been,  from  time  to  time,  the 
subject  of  negotiation  and  provisonal  arrangement  by 
treaty  ;  having  in  view  the  temporary  protection  of  the 
interests  of  the  parties,  while  the  final  adjustment  of 
theic  rights  is  left  open  to  future  arrangements.  These 
temporary  arrangements,  by  the  convention  of  1825, 
are  mutually  obligatory,  until  either  of  the  parties  who 
may  desire  a  change  shall  have  given  to  the  other  one 
year's  notice. 

"  The  treaty  of  Ghent  contains  no  specific  allusion  to 
the  possession  of  the  United  States  on  the  northwest 
coast ;  but  under  the  claim  of  the  treaty,  article  1st, 
which  provides  that  all  territory,  places,  and  posses- 
sions whatever,  taken  by  either  party  from  the  other 
during  the  war,  &c.,  shall  be  restored  without  delay, 
the  United  States  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Co- 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


203 


lumbia  river,  called  Astoria,  was  included,  and  subse- 
quently formally  restored  to  an  authorized  agent  of  the 
United  States  ;  by  which  act  the  Oregon  Territory  for 
the  first  time  became  the  subject  of  negotiation  between 
the  two  goveniments. 

"By  the  convention  Avith  Great  Britain  of  1818,  it 
was  stipulated  that,  east  of  the  Stony  Mountains,  and 
west  of  the  lakes,  the  northern  boundary  of  the  United 
States  and  the  southern  boundary  of  Great  Britain, 
should  be  the  49th  parallel  of  latitude ;  but  in  regard  to 
the  territory  west  of  the  Stony  Mountains,  and  on  the 
northwest  coast,  it  was  stipulated  that  any  country 
which  may  be  claimed  by  either  party,  shall,  with  its 
harbors,  bays,  rivers,  &c.,  he  free  and  open  for  the  term 
of  ten  years  to  the  vessels,  citizens,  &c.,  of  the  two 
powers  ;  it  being  well  understood  that  this  agreement 
is  not  to  be  construed  to  the  prejudice  of  any  claim 
which  either  of  the  high  contracting  parties  may  have 
to  any  part  of  the  said  country,  the  only  object  being 
to  prevent  disputes  and  differences  arising  among 
themselves. 

"When,  in  1823,  negotiations  were  opened  for  the 
continuance  of  the  temporary  convention  of  1818,  the 
question  in  regard  to  the  title  and  boundaries  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia  began  to  be  considered  of 
much  importance  in  our  relations  with  Great  Britain. 
Although,  previous  to  this  time,  there  had  been  some 


204 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


•1 


u 


m 


'ill: 


1 1! 


diplomatic  conversation  on  the  subject,  there  had  been 
no  fomud,  written  negotiation,  untU  1823,  when  Mr. 
Adams,  as  Secretary  of  State,  gave  instructions  to  Mr. 
Rush,  the  United  States  minister  to  Enghmd,  to  urge 
the  settlement  of  our  territorial  limits  west  of  the  Stony 
Mountains.  Mr.  Rush  was  instructed  to  suggest  the 
parallel  of  51°  as  the  southern  boundary  of  Great  Bri- 
tain. But  if  the  line  already  settled  at  49°  latitude  to 
the  Stony  Mountains  should  be  earnestly  insisted  on  by 
Great  Britain,  *  we  will  consent  to  carry  it  in  continu- 
ance on  the  same  parallel  west  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.' 
To  the  propositions  of  Mr.  Rush,  made  in  piu"suance 
of  these  instructions,  the  British  commissioners  an- 
swered by  controverting  all  the  facts  and  principles  on 
which  the  United  States  rested,  and  they  declared  that 
Great  Britain  considered  the  whole  of  the  unoccupied 
parts  of  America  as  open  to  her  future  settlement,  in 
the  manner  as  heretofore,  and  they  included  in  this  de- 
scription the  unoccupied  territory  between  the  42d  and 
51st  degrees  of  north  latitude.  Great  Britain  would 
not  rehnquish  the  principle  of  colonization  on  that 
coast.  She  insisted  on  the  principles  established  against 
Spain  in  the  Nootka  Sound  controversy ;  besides,  the 
commissioners  contended  that  Great  Britain  had  a  par- 
amount title  by  discovery  and  occupancy.  The  nego- 
tiation terminated  in  the  convention  of  1827,  by  which 
that  of  1818  was  indefinitely  extended,  with  permis- 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


205 


sion  to  eitlier  party  to  abrogate  it  upon  twelve  months* 
notice.  Tliia  convention  fixes  the  actual  existing  rela- 
tions between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  on 
tlie  subject  of  the  northwest  territory. 

"  What  little  consecpience  Great  Britain  attached  to 
her  claim  of  right  to  colonize,  and  how  little  she  relied 
on  it  for  any  permanent  purpose,  is  shoAvn  by  the  fact, 
tiiat  during  the  progress  of  the  negotiation,  she  pro- 
posed, in  a  formal  prnjet  submitted  by  her  commission- 
ers, to  fix  the  dividing  line  definitively  on  the  49th  par- 
allel of  north  latitude,  until  that  parallel  strikes  the 
northwestenunost  branch  of  the  Columbia  river  ; 
thence  down  the  middle  of  that  river  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  And  at  the  moment  that  this  pretension  of  a 
right  of  colonization  was  urged  upon  our  commission- 
ei*s,  it  was  abandoned  by  the  Britith  Ambassador  at  St. 
Petersbiu-g,  who,  in  February,  1825,  concluded  a 
treaty,  relinquishing  to  Russia  all  claim  of  whatever 
nature,  north  of  54°  40'.  Indeed,  it  was  obvious  that, 
whether  the  results  of  the  Nootka  Sound  controversy, 
in  1790,  had  been  wrung  by  Great  Britain  from  the 
weakness  of  Spain,  or  had  been  yielded  by  her  justice, 
that  neither  Russia  nor  the  United  States  coidd  acqui- 
esce in  a  principle  which  woidd  leave  their  valuable 
possessions  on  the  northwest  coast  perpetually  open  to 
the  capricious  inroads  of  other  powers.  The  preten- 
sion of  an  unoccupied  coast  in  1825,  was  not  the  less 


it 


i 


t 


206 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


ht''r^ 


monstrous  than  that  of  Russia  to  a  closed  sea  in  that 
region,  whicli  disturbed  the  gravity  of  the  diplomatic 
corps  in  1820.  The  British  nogotiators  of  all  times 
declined  the  responsibility  of  starting  this  pretension  in 
writing,  and  having,  since  the  negotiation,  in  which  it 
was  verbally  urged  against  us,  abandoned  it  in  regard 
to  Russia,  and  as,  in  its  nature,  its  existence  is  tenni- 
iiated  by  the  lapse  of  thne  and  the  progress  of  events, 
it  may  noio  be  considered  obsolete. 


« 


"  Certainly,  if  mere  discovery  of  the  coast  could  give 
title,  that  of  Spahi  would  be  entirely  incontrovertible ; 
and  this  Government,  having  succeeded  to  her  rights, 
the  question  would  be  at  an  end.  Balboa  discovered 
the  western  shore  of  America  in  September,  1513,  and 
'  advancing  up  to  his  middle  in  the  waves,  with  his 
buckler  and  sword  in  hand,  took  possession  of  that 
ocean  in  the  name  of  the  king,  his  master,  and  vowed 
to  defend  it  with  his  arms  against  all  his  enemies.' 
Cortez  discovered  California  in  15 20,  up  to  about  par- 
allel 30°.  In  1543,  Cubrillo  explored  the  coast  from 
that  point  up  to  42°.  In  1592,  John  de  Fuca  discov- 
ered the  strait  which  bears  his  name,  in  latitude  48°. 
But  the  principle  implied  in  the  declaration  of  the 
British  commissioners  is  unquestionably  correct,  viz., 
that  discovery,  nccompanied  with  subsequent  and  effi- 
cient acts  of  sovereignty  or  settlement,  are  necessary  to 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


207 


give  title.  Now  there  is  no  pretence  that  Great  Bri- 
tain has  a  title  thus  acquired  ;  and  all  that  is  left  is  to 
ascertain  whether  the  United  States  can  establish  such 
a  one  in  herself. 

"  Not  to  dwell  on  the  reported  settlement  by  Hen- 
dricks, in  1785,  in  May,  1792,  Captain  Robert  Cray, 
in  the  ship  Columbia,  from  Boston,  sailing  under  the 
flag  of  the  United  States,  saw  and  entered  into  the 
land,  which  had  a  very  good  appearance  of  a  harbor  ; 
and  which  Avas,  in  fact,  the  mouth  of  a  very  la'-ge  river, 
then  seen  for  the  first  time  by  a  citizen  of  a  civilized 
nation. 

"  Captain  Gray  entered  the  river,  named  it  Columbia, 
and  named  the  capes  on  either  side  ;  continuing  to  ex- 
plore it  from  the  7th  to  the  21st  of  Mtty.  Having 
fixed  its  latitude,  and  distinctly  marked  the  topography 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  the  b'iarings  of  the  various 
headlands  around  the  bay,  he  returned  to  the  United 
States,  and  announced  his  important  discovery.  Thus 
was  the  Columbia  discovered  by  the  United  States,  from 
the  sea.  In  the  year  1803,  an  exploring  expedition 
was  fitted  out  by  this  Government,  to  penetrate,  over 
land,  into  the  region  west  of  the  Rocky  or  Stony 
Mountains,  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river. 
Every  body  knows  the  signal  success  of  this  admirably 
conducted  enterprise,  which  opened  to  the  world  the 
vast  regions  of  the  Upper  Missouri  and  Rocky  Moun- 


m 


Mil 


;«  :t;i 


i^i 


w  i  f  i, 


208 


LIFE   OF   DE.    LINN. 


tains,  and  added  to  geography  the  magnificent  valley 
of  the  Columbia.  Ten  years  before,  Mackenzie  had 
penetrated  to  the  Western  Ocean,  but  his  route  did  not 
touch  any  of  the  waters  of  this  grand  basin,  being  sev- 
eral degrees  north  of  it.  And  thus  this  great  discov- 
ery, both  from  the  interior  and  the  coast,  belongs  to 
the  United  States.  The  exploring  expedition  of  Lewis 
and  Clarke  following  up  the  discovery  of  the  Columbia 
river,  by  Captain  Gray,  is  in  itself  an  important  cir- 
cumstance in  our  title.  It  was  notice  to  the  world  of 
claim,  and  that  solemn  act  of  possession  was  followed 
up  by  a  settlement  and  occupation,  made  by  that  enter- 
prising and  inteUigent  merchant,  John  Jacob  Astor, 
under  the  countenance  and  patronage  of  this  Govern- 
ment. This  settlement  and  occupation  continued  to 
the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  by  the  treaty  of 
Ghent  was  restored  to  us  formally,  after  its  conquest 
from  the  United  States  during  that  war.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  our  title  has  the  requisites  prescribed  by 
Great  Britain  herself.  With  this  is  combined  the  cur- 
rent title  of  Spain,  which  was  derived  also  from  discov- 
ery, settlement,  &c.,  and  which,  by  the  treaty  of  1819, 
was  transferred  to  the  United  States.  The  extent  of 
the  territory  on  the  northwest  coast,  which  is  properly 
embraced  within  our  limits,  is  to  be  ascertained  by  the 
application  of  the  two  recognized  principles  to  the  es- 
tablished facts  of  the  case.     1st.  That  the  discovery 


.1   t 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


209 


and  occupation  of  the  mouth  of  a  river  gives  title  to 
the  region  watered  by  it  and  its  tributaries,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Hudson,  James,  Mississippi  rivers,  &c. 
2d.  That  the  discovery  and  settlement  of  a  new  coun- 
try by  a  civilized  power,  gives  title  half  way  to  the  set- 
tlement of  the  nearest  civilized  power.  The  boundaiy 
between  them  is  a  medium  line.  Either  of  these  prin- 
ciples will  carry  our  line  as  far  as  49°. 

"  Its  occupation  by  our  Government  would  secure  a 
vast  Indian  and  fur  trade  ;  its  forests  of  gigantic  tim- 
ber, extended  plains,  rich  alluvions,  where  animals  and 
vegetables  assume  their  brightest  forms,  would  open  a 
direct  trade  with  California,  China,  Japan,  and  the 
Sandwich  and  Oriental  Islands  generally  ;  it  would  se- 
cure its  prodigious  fisheries  of  sturgeon,  anchovies,  and 
salmon  ;  for  Lewis  and  Clarke  say,  '  that  the  multitudes 
of  salmon  in  the  Oregon  are  inconceivable,  and  they 
ascend  to  its  very  sources,  to  the  very  ridge  of  the 
dividing  mountains ;  the  water  is  so  clear,  that  they 
may  be  seen  at  the  depths  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet ;  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  they  float  in  sucli  quantities 
down  the  stream,  and  are  drifted  ashore,  that  the  In- 
dians have  only  to  collect,  split  them  open,  and  dry 
them.'  It  would  doubtless  secure,  beyond  the  danger 
of  interruption,  constant  intercourse  and  trade  between 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Oregon. 

"  But,  to  waive  these  advantages,  the  importance  to 
14 


mBm 

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■'  1 


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If.- 


210 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


the  United  States,  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  of 
possessing  some  harbor  on  the  northwest  coast  of  Amer- 
ica, will  be  seen  at  once,  when  it  is  recollected  that  up- 
wards of  $12,000,000  worth  of  property  is  afloat  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  in  the  whale  trade  alone,  and  which 
gives  employment  to  8,000  seamen.  These  whalers 
must  have  some  place  or  places  at  which  to  refit  after 
their  long  voyages.  These  vessels  now  resort  to  the 
Sandwich  Islands ;  but  it  is  to  be  remembered,  that 
colonial  restrictions  may  be  enforced  in  time  of  peace, 
and  in  time  of  war  this  valuable  and  important  branch 
of  trade  might  fall  an  easy  prey  to  a  foreign  power,  for 
want  of  a  port  to  give  it  shelter.  It  is  the  duty  of  a 
wise  government  to  provide  against  such  contingencies. 
The  bay  of  St.  Francis,  into  which  is  discharged  the 
fine  river  Sacramento,  is  one  of  the  noblest  harbors  on 
the  continent,  and  capable  of  containing  the  whole 
mercantile  navy  of  the  world.  But  this  magnificent 
harbor,  unfortunately,  is  not  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  United  States,  but  belongs  to  Mexico." 

Dr.  Linn  little  dreamed  then  that  this  magnificent 
harbor  would  so  soon  fall  into  our  hands,  and  did  not 
live  to  see  it. 

After  quoting  from  the  reports  of  Mr.  Slocum  and 
Mr  Baylies,  Dr.  Linn  proceeds : 

"  The  day  is  not  far  distant,  when,  by  the  opening 
of  a  direct  communication  between  the  Atlantic  and 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


211 


I 


the  Pacific  Oceans,  across  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  the 
whole  trade  of  the  eastern  hemisphere  will  be  changed. 
The  policy  of  Great  Britain  is,  therefore,  to  possess  the 
strongest  points  of  control  on  this  grand  thoroughfare 
of  commerce,  as  well  as  over  every  other  commercial 
thoroughfare  of  the  world.  One  of  these  points  she 
already  possesses  in  Jamaica,  and  the  Sandwich  Islands 
is  to  be,  nay,  is,  the  other  point  of  her  grasping  ambi- 
tion. These  islands  lie  on  that  parallel  of  latitude 
which  vessels  seek  in  the  passage  to  China,  Manilla, 
and  Batavia,  from  the  west  coast  of  America,  in  order 
to  get  the  force  of  the  trade-winds  which  are  strongest 
between  18°  and  24°  of  north  latitude.  They  lie  as 
directly  in  the  route  to  China  as  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  for  ships  from  the  eastward.  They  would,  there- 
fore, become  of  immense  value  as  a  commercial  depot, 
and  in  time  of  war  they  would,  in  a  military  point  of 
view,  be  as  important  as  the  Mauritius  in  the  Indian 
Ocean.  It  may  be  assumed,  then,  that  these  islands 
will  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  British  Government ;  for 
when  has  she  neglected  her  foreign  policy  ?  Look  at 
her  possessions  in  the  East — Malta,  Gibraltar,  the  key 
to  the  commerce  of  the  Mediterranean, — St.  Helena, 
Ascension,  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  Mauritius,  Singa- 
pore, (Avhich  effectually  commands  the  Straits  of  Ma- 
lacca,) the  Benin  Islands,  lying  off  the  coast  of  Japan ; 
and  she  only  lacks  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  the  beau- 


li 

:  1 


v.b 


i.   I 


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Ffl-; 


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If, 


i  i  i 


Ilk 


212 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


tiful  river  of  Columbia,  and  the  territory  watered  by  its 
numerous  tributaries,  to  command,  by  her  mighty 
means,  the  commerce  of  the  whole  world." 

Dr.  Linn's  apprehensions  in  regard  to  Great  Britain 
acquiring  the  Sandwich  Islands,  though  by  no  means 
then  unreasonable,  would  now  be  groundless;  since 
the  United  States,  jealous  of  her,  and  she,  jealous  of 
us,  have  come  to  an  understanding  to  let  those  islands 
remain  as  they  now  are,  and  that  neither  Government 
shall  interfere  with  them. 

As  to  the  prediction  that  "  the  day  is  not  far  dis- 
tant, when,  by  the  opening  a  direct  communication 
between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  across  the 
Isthmus  of  Darien,  the  whole  trade  of  the  eastern 
hemisphere  will  be  changed,"  it  is  now  in  process  of 
fulfilment,  and  this  route  is  now  becoming  the  great 
thoroughfare  of  commerce.  But  the  fulfilment  of 
this  prediction  has  been  greatly  hastened  by  the  annex- 
ation of  California  to  the  United  States,  and  the  acci- 
dental discovery  of  the  immensely  rich  gold  mines  of 
that  coimtry,  which  for  a  time  set  the  world  agog,  and 
sent  hundreds  of  thousands  of  emigrants  to  settle  that 
far  off"  land.     Dr.  Linn  proceeds  : 

"  Independent  of  the  importance,  in  a  commercial 
point  of  view,  of  this  territory  to  the  United  States,  it 
assumes  vast  importance  when  we  come  to  consider  the 
influence  it  is  to  have,  in  the  hands  of  the  British,  over 


ft*-; 


:(-'*■ 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


213 


the  fierce  and  warlike  tribes  of  Indians  on  the  north, 
and  from  our  western  frontier  to  the  Pacific  Ocean." 
He  then  quotes  freely  from  Mr.  Slocnm's  report,  show- 
ing what  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  done,  and 
the  influence  they  had  acquired  over  the  Indians  of  the 
Northwestern  tribes.  The  farm  of  this  company  at 
Vancouver,  contained  about  3000  acres  of  land,  fenced 
and  under  ciUtivation,  employing  generally  one  hun- 
dred men,  chiefly  Canadians  and  half  breed  Iroquois. 
The  mechanics  were  Europeans. 

"  At  first  sight,"  continues  Dr.  Linn,  "  it  would  be 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  rugged  and  stern  Rocky 
Mountains,  whose  sunmiits  ore  covered  with  snow,  and 
iiscend/«r  beyond  the  region  of  perpetual  congelation, 
would  constitute  an  everlasting  barrier  to  the  passage 
of  hostile  armies  between  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
and  that  of  the  Columbia  ;  for  all  the  journals  and  nar- 
ratives of  the  early  explorers  of  this  gloomy  region,  are 
replete  with  the  sufferings  and  privations  of  those 
who  made  the  passage.  The  accounts  given  us  by 
Lewis  and  Clarke,  Andrew  Henry,  Wilson  P.  Hunt, 
Ramsay  Crooks,  and  many  others,  seemed  to  have 
placed  this  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt.  But  of 
this  we  shall  see.  One  of  its  loftiest  peaks  has  been 
mounted  by  a  traveller  after  incessant  toil.  The  pros- 
pect presenting  itself  and  the  feelings  of  the  beholder, 
are  given  in  the  gorgeous  language  of  Irving : 


214 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


:  ;   I 


m 


"  *  Here  a  scene  burst  upon  the  view  of  Captain 
Bonneville,  that  for  a  time  astonished  and  ovcrwlieluied 
him  with  its  immensity.  He  stood,  in  fact,  upon  that 
dividing  ridge,  which  Indians  regard  as  the  crest  of  the 
world ;  and  on  each  side  of  which  the  landscape  de- 
clines to  the  two  cardinal  oceans  of  the  world.  Which- 
ever way  he  turned  his  eye,  be  was  confused  by  the 
vastness  and  variety  of  objects.  Beneath  him  the 
Rocky  Mountains  seemed  to  open  rugged  defiles  and 
foaming  torrents  ;  while,  beyond  their  savage  precincts, 
the  eye  was  lost  in  an  almost  innueasurable  landscape, 
stretching  on  every  side  into  dim  and  hazy  distance  like 
the  expanse  of  a  summer  sea.  Whichever  way  he 
looked  he  beheld  vast  plains  glimmering  with  reflected 
sunshine ;  mighty  streams  wandering  on  their  shining 
course  towards  either  ocean,  and  snowy  mountains, 
chain  beyond  chain,  and  peak  beyond  peak,  they  melted 
like  clouds  into  the  horizon.  For  a  time  the  Indian 
fable  seemed  to  be  realized.  He  had  obtained  that 
height  from  which  the  Black  Foot  warrior,  after  death, 
catches  a  view  of  the  land  of  souls,  and  beholds  the 
happy  hunting-grounds  spread  out  before  him,  bright- 
ening with  the  abodes  of  free  and  generous  spirits.' 
This  line  of  continuous  mountains,  when  viewed  at  a 
distance,  every  where  seems  impassable :  the  mind 
shrinks  or  recoils  from  such  frowning  and  forbidding 
obstacles.     But  within  ten  or  fifteen  years,  passes  of 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


215 


such  gentle  slope  have  been  discovered  that  loaded 
wagons  easily  traverse  them. 

"  From  the  valley  of  the  River  Platte,  General  Ashley 
passed  to  the  opposite  valleys  of  waters  that  fall  into 
the  Great  Bear  Lake. 

"  The  waters  of  this  great  internal  sea  are  nmch  more 
brackish  than  that  of  the  ocean.  He  descended,  in 
canoes,  one  of  the  rivers  that  disembogued  into  it, 
which  was  150  miles  in  length;  and  on  coasting  the 
lake,  he  found  it  100  miles  long,  and  from  60  to  80 
wide.  Since  then,  the  passage  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
has  become  an  affair  of  ordinary  occuiTence,  and  even 
perforaied  by  delicate  females. 


* 


"  A  vast  chain  of  mountains  commences  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  American  continent,  which 
ranges  along  the  borders  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  after 
ihreadivg  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  passes,  with  various 
altitudes  through  Guatemala,  Mexico  and  its  provinces, 
California,  Oregon,  and  finally  disappears  in  the  Arctic 
region.  The  northern  portion  is  called  the  Rocky  or 
Stony  Mountains,  which  rise  in  abrupt  ruggedness  on 
the  side  of  the  great  North  American  plains,  and  ap- 
parently formed  at  a  remote  period  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  on  its  eastern  face,  the  walls  to  a  vast  internal 
sea,  the  bed  of  which  was  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi ; 
whilst  from  its  western  flanks  the  descent  is  in  regular 


\ 


'  'ill ft 


216 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


m 

1:' 


teiTaces  to  the  ocean.  The  northern  extremity  of  this 
great  spine  of  the  world,  gives  origin  to  some  of  the 
nol)lest  rivers  of  the  globe,  the  Missouri,  Saskatchawine, 
Peace,  Columbia,  &c. 

"  Navigators,  early  as  well  as  recent,  portray  the 
country  in  glowing  language,  and  dwell  with  delight  on 
the  lovely  variety  of  hill  and  dale,  fertility  of  soil,  noble 
forests,  amenity  of  landscape,  pure  limpid  streams 
flowing  through  the  land ;  but  above  all,  they  dwell 
with  the  greatest  satisfaction  on  the  soft  climate  of  this 
delightful  coast.  Cook,  Dixon,  Portlock,  Vancouver, 
Langsdorf,  Kotzebue,  and  many  others,  unite  in  the 
same  opinion  as  to  the  benignity  of  the  chmate,  which 
varies  widely  from  that  on  the  opposite  coast  of  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  where,  in  the  winter  and  spring  seasons, 
in  the  same  parallels  of  latitude,  storm,  hail,  snow,  and 
sleet  hold  sullen  sway. 


il-' 


"  Mr.  Prevost  says  that,  *  the  climate  to  the  south- 
ward of  53°,  assumes  a  mildness  unknown  in  the  same 
latitude  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  continent.  Without 
digressing  to  s])eculate  upon  the  cause,  I  will  merely 
state  that  sucli^is  particularly  the  fact  in  46°  16',  the 
site  of  Port  CS&g^.  '  The  mercury  during  the  winter 
seldom  descends  below  the  freezing  point ;  when  it  does 
so,  it  is  rarely  stationary  for  any  number  of  days,  and 


■?■! :  t 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


217 


the  severity  of  the  season  is  more  determined  by  the 
quantity  of  water  than  by  its  congelation.  The  rains 
usually  commence  with  November,  and  continue  to  fall 
partially  until  the  latter  end  of  March  or  the  beginning 
of  April.  A  benign  spring  succeeds,  and  when  the 
summer  heats  obtain,  they  are  so  tempered  with  showers 
as  seldom  to^  suspend  vegetation.  I  found  it  luxuriant 
on  my  arrival,  (October  1,  1818,)  and  during  a  fort- 
night's stay,  experienced  no  change  of  weather  to  retard 
its  course.' 

W  T^  W  ^  ^  7^  7^  l|t  7^ 

"  In  conclusion,  the  committee  would  remark,  that 
the  title  of  the  United  States  to  the  Territory  of  Oregon 
is,  in  their  opinion,  beyond  doubt ;  that  its  possession 
is  important  in  our  commercial  and  Indian  relations ; 
that  it  is  in  danger  of  being  lost  by  delay,  and  so 
viewing  it,  they  hope  the  Executive  will  take  steps  to 
bring  the  controversy  on  this  subject  with  England  to 
a  speedy  termination.  In  the  mean  time,  they  have  re- 
ported a  bill,  authorizing  the  President  to  employ  in 
that  quarter  such  portions  of  the  army  and  navy  of  the 
United  States  as  he  may  deem  necessary  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  persons  and  property  of  those  who  may 
reside  in  that  country." 

The  reports  of  travellers  and  navigators  in  regard 
to  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  beauty  of  the  climate 
of  distant  and  newly  discovered  lands,  are  proverbial.. 


M 


! 


< ' 


H'- 


i ' 


!.ii 


218 


LIFE   OF   DE     LINN. 


and  a  little  of  the  color  of  the  rose  may  have  been 
thrown  into  their  accounts  of  the  Columbia  or  Oregon 
coimtry,  which  was  transferred  to  Dr.  Linn's  report. 
But  the  real  value  of  the  country  in  a  commercial  and 
political  point  of  view,  was  by  no  means  over-estimated. 
Dr.  Linn  saw  this  with  the  eye  of  a  statesman ;  he  saw 
that  if  the  United  States  government  did  not  act 
promptly  in  the  matter,  England,  pursuing  with  steady 
perseverance  her  policy  of  grasping  nnportant  positions 
in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  would  secure  this  country 
to  herself,  and  would,  in  that  case,  exercise  a  controlling 
and  dangerous  influence  over  all  the  fierce  tribes  of  In- 
dians in  the  northwest  and  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
whom  she  could  at  any  time  incite  to  commit  depreda- 
tions upon  the  people  living  along  our  western  and 
northwestern  borders.  lie  saw,  too,  that  the  great  fur 
trade  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  northwest,  so  profit- 
able to  those  engaged  in  it,  and  the  means  by  which  a 
very  great  influence  was  exercised  over  the  Indians, 
would  be  taken  wholly  from  us,  and  monopolized  by 
the  British  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  which  had  already 
established  forts  and  trading  posts  in  various  parts  of 
it,  and  had  large  establishments  on  the  Columbia  river, 
Puget's  Sound,  &c. 

But  though  he  pressed  this  subject  upon  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Senate  with  zeal  and  earnestness.  Dr.  L. 
was  unable  to  procure  the  passage  of  his  bill  at  this 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


219 


time.  It  was  not  his  nature,  however,  to  give  up  the 
ship  because  he  could  not  immediately  command  suc- 
cess, and  he  therefore  continued  his  exertions  iu  this 
cause  session  after  session,  and  Congress  after  Congress, 

Early  in  the  next  session,  on  the  11th  Dec.,  1838, 
he  introduced  a  bill  to  authorize  the  occupation  of  the 
Columbia  or  Oregon  Territory,  which  was  read  twice 
and  referred  to  a  special  committee  consisting  of  Mr. 
Linn,  chairman,  Mr.  Calhoun,  Mr.  Clay  oi  Ky.,Mr. 
IFalker  and  Mr.  Pierce. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1839,  he  presented  the 
following  memorial  from  the  citizens  of  the  Oregon 
Tenitory,  which  was  ordered  to  be  printed. 


M''' 


To  the  honorable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  undersigned,  settlers  soalu  of  the  Columbia 
river,  beg  leave  to  represent  to  your  honorable  body, 
that  our  settlement,  begun  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred 
and  thirty-two,  has  hitherto  prospered  beyond  the  most 
sanguine  expectations  of  its  first  projectors.  The  pro- 
ducts of  our  fields  have  amply  justified  the  most 
flattering  descriptions  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  Avhile 
the  facilities  which  it  affords  for  rearing  cattle,  are,  per- 
haps, exceeded  by  no  country  in  North  America.  The 
people  of  the  United  States,  we  believe,  are  not  gen- 
erally apprised  of  the  extent  of  valuable  country  west 


I;,! 


220 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  A  large  portion  of  the 
territory  from  the  Columbia  river  south,  to  the  bound- 
ary line  between  the  United  States  and  the  Mexican 
Republic,  and  extending  from  the  coast  of  the  Pacific 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hundred  miles  to 
the  interior,  is  either  well  supplied  with  timber,  or 
adapted  to  pasturage  or  agriculture.  The  fertile  valleys 
of  the  AVallamette  and  Umpqua  are  varied  with  prairies 
and  woodland,  and  intersected  by  abundant  lateral 
streams,  presenting  facilities  for  machinery.  Perhaps 
no  country  of  the  same  latitude  is  favored  with  a  climate 
so  mild.  The  winter  rains,  it  is  true,  are  an  objection ; 
but  they  are  generally  preferred  to  the  snows  and  intense 
cold  which  prevail  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  United 
States.  The  ground  is  seldom  covered  with  snow,  nor 
does  it  ever  remain  but  a  few  houri. 

We  need  hardly  allude  to  the  commerical  advantages 
of  the  territory.  Its  happy  position  for  trade  Avith 
China,  India,  and  the  western  coasts  of  America,  will 
be  readily  recognised.  Tiie  growing  importance,  how- 
ever, of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  is  not  so  generally 
known  and  appreciated.  At.  these  islands  progress  in 
civilization,  their  demand  for  the  produce  of  more 
northern  climates  will  increase.  Nor  can  any  country 
supply  them  with  beef,  flour,  &c.,  on  terms  so  advan- 
tageous as  this.  A  very  successful  effort  has  been  re- 
cently made  at  the  Sandwich  Islands  in  the  cultivation 


-i^S, 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


221 


of  coffee  and  the  sugar  cane.  A  colony  here  will,  in 
time,  thence  easily  derive  these  articles  and  other  tropical 
products  in  exchange  for  the  produce  of  their  own  labor. 

We  have  thus  briefly  alluded  to  the  natural  resources 
of  the  country,  and  to  its  external  relations.  They  are, 
in  our  opinion,  strong  inducements  for  tlie  government 
of  the  United  States  to  take  formal  and  speedy  posses- 
sion. We  urge  this  step  as  promishig  to  the  general 
interests  of  the  nation.  But  the  advantages  it  may 
confer  upon  us,  and  the  evils  it  may  avert  from  our 
posterity,  are  incalculable. 

Our  social  intercourse  has  thus  far  been  prosecuted 
with  reference  to  the  feelings  of  honor,  to  the  feeling 
of  dependence  on  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  to 
their  moral  influence.  Under  this  state  of  things  we 
have  thus  far  prospered,  but  we  cannc*;  hope  tliat  it  will 
continue.  The  agriculture  and  other  resources  of  the 
country  cannot  fail  to  induce  emigration  and  connnerce. 
As  our  settlement  begins  to  draw  its  supplies  through 
other  channels,  the  feeling  of  dependence  upon  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  to  which  we  have  alluded  as 
one  of  the  safeguards  of  our  social  intercoui-se,  will 
b3gin  to  diminish.  We  are  anxious  w'hen  we  iuiagine 
what  will  be,  what  must  be,  the  condition  of  so  mixed 
a  comnmnity,  free  from  all  legal  restraint,  and  superior 
to  that  moral  influence  which  has  hitherto  been  the 
pledge  of  our  .safety. 


( .• 


l-i 


1  i 


'lis 


m 


is';- 


p 


I 


^vi 


><!■ 


'I 

1, 


HI, 


'■'ii 


222 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


Our  interests  are  identified  with  those  of  the 
country  of  our  adoption.  We  flatter  ourselves  that  we 
are  the  germ  of  a  great  State,  and  are  anxious  to  give 
an  early  tone  to  the  moral  and  intellectual  character  of 
its  citizens.  We  are  fully  aware,  too,  that  the  destinies 
of  our  posterity  will  be  intimately  affected  by  the  char- 
acter of  those  who  emigrate  to  the  country.  The  ter- 
ritory must  populate.  The  Congress  of  the  United 
States  must  say  by  whom.  The  natural  resources  of 
the  country,  with  a  well-judged  civ  1  code,  will  invite  a 
good  community.  But  a  good  community  will  hardly 
emigrate  to  a  country  which  promises  no  protection  for 
life  or  property.  Inquiries  have  already  been  submitted 
to  some  of  us  for  information  of  the  country.  In  re- 
turn we  can  only  speak  of  a  country  highly  favored  of 
nature.  We  can  boast  of  o  civil  code.  We  can 
promise  no  protection  but  the  ulterior  resort  of  self- 
defence.  By  whom,  then,  shall  our  country  be  popu- 
lated ?  By  the  reckless  and  unprincipled  adventurer  ! 
not  by  the  hardy  and  enterprising  pioneer  of  the  West. 
By  the  Botany  Bay  refugee,  by  the  renegade  of  civiU- 
zation  from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  by  the  profligate 
deserted  seaman  from  Polynesia,  and  the  unprincipled 
sharpars  from  South  America.  Well  we  are  assured 
that  it  will  cost  the  government  of  the  United  States 
more  to  reduce  ele  nents  so  discordant  to  social  order 
than  to  promote  our  permanent  peace  ajid  prosperity 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


223 


m 


by  a  timely  action  of  Congress.  Nor  can  we  suppose 
that  so  vicious  a  population  could  1>3  relied  on  in  case  of 
a  rupture  between  the  United  States  and  any  other 
power. 

Oui'  intercourse  with  the  natives  among  us,  guided 
much  by  the  same  influence  which  has  promoted  har- 
mony among  ourselves,  has  been  generally  pacific.  But 
the  same  causes  which  will  inten'upt  harmony  among 
ourselveij,  will  also  interrupt  our  friendly  relations 
with  the  natives.  It  is,  therefore,  of  primary  im- 
portance both  to  them  and  us,  that  the  government 
should  take  energetic  measures  to  secure  the  execution 
of  all  laws  affecting  Indian  trade  and  the  intercourse  of 
white  men  and  Indians.  We  have  thus  briefly  shown 
that  the  security  of  our  persons  and  our  property,  the 
hopes  and  destinies  of  our  children,  are  involved  iv  the 
objects  of  our  petition.  We  do  not  presume  to  suggest 
the  manner  in  which  the  country  should  be  occupied 
by  the  government,  nor  the  extent  to  which  our  settle- 
mont  should  be  encouraged.  We  confide  in  the  wisdom 
;if  ^ur  national  legislators ;  and  leave  the  subject  to 
ihiir  candid  deliberations,  and  yoiu*  petitioners  will  ever 
pray. 

(Signod)  J.  S.  Whitcomb,  and  35  others,  March 
16, 1838. 


I 


II 

k 
u 

i'i 


■  '■  '  'I 


Upon  the  motion  of  Dr.  Linn  the  memorial  was 
ordered  to  be  printed. 


I  ■ 


224 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


i^n 


i  i 


On  the  22cl  of  February  the  bill  to  provide  for  the 
protection  of  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  residing 
in  the  Oregon  Territory,  or  trading  on  the  Columbia 
river,  was  taken  up,  and  Mr.  Linn  addressed  the 
Senate  in  its  support. 

Mr.  Linn  said  he  thought  it  time  the  government 
of  the  United  States  stretched  forth  its  protecting  arm 
to  such  of  its  citizens  as  now  resided  in  the  Oregon 
Territory,  a;  1  asserted  our  title  to  that  country.  That 
the  title  of  the  id  States  was  clear  and  indisputable 
he  had  not  the  siiadow  of  a  doubt ;  this  had  been  so 
often  and  so  clearly  demonstrated  that  he  should  not 
now  detain  the  Senate  by  any  remarks  upon  the  subject. 

By  the  convention  of  1818,  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain,  indefinitely  continued  by  that 
of  1828,  it  was  agreed  that  both  countries  should  have 
concurrent  possession  and  jiu'isdiction  of  the  Oregon 
Territory.  But  this  convention  has  been,  and  now  is, 
a  nullity  to  us  ;  for  Great  Britain,  through  the  medium 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  has  built  and  armed 
several  forts  in  advantageous  positions  in  that  country, 
equipped  s\n\)s,  erected  houses  and  improved  farms ; 
and  has  opened  a  trade  with  all  the  tribes  of  Indians 
on  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  as  far 
south  as  the  Gulf  of  California.  Their  hunters  and 
trappers  have  penetrated  all  the  valleys  and  glens  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  scattering  arms  and  munitions  of  war, 


fc 


kiji  a 


mm 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


005 


and  fomenting  discontent  against  the  United  States  in 
the  br  oms  of  those  Indian  tribes.  They  have  driven 
our  people  from  the  Indian  trade,  wliich  yielded  seven 
or  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  and  even 
pushed  their  operations  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
to  the  great  Mississippi  valley. 

To  all  these  aggressions  we  have  tamely  submitted, 
and  still  tamely  submit,  though  he  hoped  the  extreme 
point  of  forbearance  would  soon  be  reached,  and  our 
government  would  assert  and  maintain  its  rights. 

The  haughty,  grasping,  unjust  spirit  of  Great  Britain 
was  ever  manifest ;  she  had  mined  or  driven  us  from 
our  fur  trade,  which  she  now  monopolizes,  and  seems 
disposed  to  appropriate  the  splendid  pine  forests  of 
Maine  to  her  own  use.  This  grasping  spirit  must  be 
checked. 

As  regards  this  bill,  Mr.  L.  said  he  should  make  no 
motion  ;  leaving  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Senate,  as  many 
esteemed  friends  around  and  near  him  seemed  to  think 
that,  at  this  critical  juncture,  its  passage  might  be  mis- 
construed. But  he  pledged  himself  not  to  permit  our 
claims  to  this  territory  to  slumber. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Wright  the  bill  was  committed 
to  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Relations  ;  and  on  motion 
of  Mr.  Tallmadge,  5000  extra  copies  were  ordered  to 
be  printed. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  controversy  between  the 
15 


ll 


226 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


United  States  and  Great  Jiritain  in  regard  to  the  North- 
eastern Boundary  between  the  two  countries ;  great 
excitement  prevailed  among  the  people  of  Maine,  and 
troops  had  been,  or  were  soon  after,  called  out  by  the 
Governor  of  that  State  and  marched  to  the  territory  in 
dispute,  to  defend  it  against  British  aggression,  both 
parties  claiming  jurisdiction  o»v.r  it,  and  were  under- 
taking to  enforce  their  own  laws  upon  the  people.  This 
was  the  "  critical  juncture  "  to  Avhich  Dr.  Linn  alluded, 
and  which  induced  him  to  refrain  from  pressing  the  bill 
at  this  session. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1841,  Dr.  Linn  again 
brought  the  subject  of  Oregon  before  the  Senate,  by 
moving  a  joint  resolution  of  which  he  had  given  previous 
notice,  to  authorize  the  adoption  of  measures  for  the 
occupation  and  settlement  of  the  territory,  and  for  ex- 
tending certain  portions  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
over  the  same. 

Mr.  Linn  said  that  when  his  bill  was  up  at  the  last 
session  for  discussion,  both  political  friends  and  oppo- 
nents pressed  him  to  forbear  urging  it  during  the  nego- 
tiations with  the  British  government  for  the  adjustment 
of  another  question,  from  a  fear  of  embarrassing  its 
settlement.  Though  this  was  not  at  the  time  convincing 
to  him,  it  was  sufficient  that  it  was  the  advice  of  gen- 
tlemen of  experience,  and  ho  had  acted  in  accordance 
with  it. .   But  he  now  desired  that  measures  should  be 


u^v 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


227 


speedily  adopted  to  secuie  o'lr  rights  in  that  ten-itory. 
If  his  memory  served  him  correctly,  England,  pending 
the  negotiations  at  Ghent,  had  been  willing  to  purchase 
the  territory ;  he  did  not  mean  to  say  there  was  any 
formal  offer  made,  but,  finding  that  no  such  arrange- 
ment could  be  entered  into,  she  had  progressed  step 
by  step  in  her  encroachments,  until  she  now  presented 
a  bold  claim  where  she  had  not  a  shadow  of  right ;  and 
such  he  believed  would  be  the  case  as  long  as  she  was 
allowed  to  occupy  any  portion  of  the  territory.  Great 
Britain  had  extended  her  possessions  gradually  from  the 
extreme  branch  of  the  Columbia  River  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

On  the  18th  December,  1839,  Dr.  Linn  called 
the  attention  of  the  Senate  to  the  subject  by  sub- 
mitting a  series  of  resolutions  which  were  referred  to  a 
select  committee,  from  which,  on  the  31st  of  March 
following,  1840,  he  reported  a  substitute  which  asserted 
the  title  of  the  United  States,  authorized  the  President 
to  take  such  measures  as  might  be  necessary  to  protect 
the  persons  and  property  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States  resident  therein,  and  to  erect  a  line  of  military 
posts  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 
for  the  protection  of  Indian  traders.  It  provided  also, 
that  when  the  boundaries  should  be  settled,  one  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  shall  be  granted  to  each  white  male 


i  i 


iSitl 


ij... 

hi 


r, 


HI 


228 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


inhabitant  of  eighteen  years  of  age ;  and  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  an  Indian  agent  for  that  territory. 

On  the  28th  of  April  he  introduced,  on  leave,  a  bill 
to  extend  a  portion  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
over  the  Territory  of  Oregon ;  and  on  his  motion,  May 
24th,  his  Oregon  resolutions  were  made  the  special 
order  of  the  day  for  that  day  two  weeks ;  but  it  does 
not  appear  that  the  day  ever  arrived,  as  nothing  fiuther 
is  recorded  as  having  been  done  during  that  session. 
Why  it  was  so  is  not  now  easy  to  say,  but  Dr.  Linn 
found  the  task  he  had  undertaken  in  regard  to  Oregon 
a  Sisyphean  labor ;  a  toil  eveiy  session  to  be  renewed, 
and  never  ended ;  nor  was  the  accomplishment  of  the 
object  at  which  he  aimed,  destined  to  cheer  his  spirits, 
gladden  his  heart,  or  reward  him  for  his  unremitting 
toil. 

By  a  letter  he  had  recently  received,  he  learned  that 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was  introducing  emigrants 
from  England  and  other  parts  by  the  way  of  Cape 
Horn;  they  brought  shepherds  and  placed  them  on 
farms ;  they  had  erected  forts  on  the  Territory  of  Oregon, 
and  had  pushed  their  establishments  on  the  south  to 
California,  and  on  the  east  to  the  Bocky  Mountains ; 
and  by  an  act  of  Parliament,  a  portion  of  the  criminal 
law  of  Great  Britain  was  extended  up  to  the  very  con- 
fines of  Missouri  and  Arkansas.  Now,  if  we  have  a 
just  right  to  that  territory,  he  was  not  the  man  to  say  it 


1^ ' 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


229 


should  be  abandoned  to  any  pow^r  on  earth ;  he  was 
for  chiiming  and  exercising  our  rights,  and  cxchuling 
those  who  were  so  insidiously,  perseveringly,  and  auda- 
ciously endeavoring  to  gain  possession  of  a  country  to 
which  they  had  not  the  least  pretence  of  a  claim. 

The  joint  resolution  having  been  twice  read,  was 
referred  to  a  select  committee  of  five,  to  wit :  Mr.  Linn, 
Mr.  Walker,  Mr.  Preston,  Mr.  Pierce,  and  Mr.  Sevier : 
from  which  committee  Mr.  Linn  reported  the  resolution 
without  amendment  to  the  Senate  on  the  14th  of 
January. 

But  it  does  not  appear  that  the  subject  came  up  for 
consideration  during  this,  the  short  session  of  Congress, 
it  being  probably  prevented  by  the  usual  press  of  the 
ordinary  business  of  legislation.  Dr.  Linn  had  pledged 
himself,  however,  and  had  thus  far  proved  faithful  to 
his  pledge,  not  to  let  the  subject  sleep,  and  oiu*  just 
claims  to  the  country  to  be  rendered  nugatory  by 
neglect ;  and  he  was  not  the  man  to  give  up  the  pur- 
suit of  a  just  and  national  cause,  so  long  as  there  was 
a  possibility  of  attaining  his  object. 

Again,  at  the  extra  session  of  Congress,  August 
2d,  1841,  Dr.  Linn  brought  the  subject  before  the 
Senate,  by  submitting  a  resolution  that  the  President 
of  the  United  States  be  requested  to  give  the  notice  to 
the  British  Government  which  the  convention  of  1827 
between  the  two  governments  requires,  in  order  to  put 


.r|l| 


'?■  iff 


j|:n«ii 


n 


230 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


h:  H 


I        I 


;  !' 


an  end  to  the  treaty  for  the  joint  occupation  of  the 
Territory  of  Oregon  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
which  territory  is  now  possessed  and  used  by  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  to  the  ruin  of  the  American  In- 
dian and  fur  trade  in  that  quarter,  and  conflicting  with 
our  inland  commerce  with  the  internal  provinces  of 
Mexico. 

Subsequently  the  resolution  came  up,  when,  upon 
the  motion  of  Mr.  Morehead  of  Ky.,  and  by  the  ac- 
quiescence of  th'^  mover,  it  was  so  amended  as  to  direct 
the  Committee  on  Foreign  Relations  "  to  inquire  into  the 
expediency  of  requesting  the  President,"  &c.,  in  which 
form  it  was  adopted.  But  it  does  not  appear  that  the 
committee  to  whom  the  subject  was  referred  ever  made 
any  report. 

Early  in  the  next  session,  Dec.  16th,  1841,  Dr.  Linn 
again  moved  in  the  matter,  by  introducing  a  bill  to 
authorize  the  adoption  of  measures  for  the  occupation 
and  settlement  of  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  for  extending 
certain  portions  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States  over 
the  same,  and  for  other  purposes,  which  v  as  referred  to 
a  select  conmiittee ;  and  on  the  4th  of  January,  sub- 
mitted a  resolution  similar  to  that  which  he  offered  on 
the  2d  of  August  preceding,  mentioned  above  These, 
the  bill  and  resolution,  came  up  for  discussion  on  several 
occas'Dns  during  the  session,  when,  on  the  31st  of 
AugrtL  t  ('42),  Mr.  Linn  addi-essed  the  Senate  in  support 


LIFE   OF    DR.  LINN. 


231 


of  his  bill  concerning  the  occupation  of  the  Oregon 
Territory. 

Remarks  of  Mr.  Linn  of  Missouri,  in  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  August  31s^,  1842,  concerning  the 
occupation  of  the  Oregon  Territory. 

Mr.  Linn  said  that  he  was  instructed  by  the  Select 
Committee  on  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  to  ask  to  be 
discharged  from  the  further  considemtion  of  the  memo- 
rials which  he  held  in  his  hand ;  and,  before  putthig 
the  question,  he  asked  the  attention  of  the  Senate  to  a 
few  remarks,  which  he  felt  it  was  his  imperative  duty 
to  make  upon  this  interesting  subject  of  the  Territory 
of  Oregon.  Besides  this  bundle  of  memorials  praying 
Congress  to  take  steps  to  assert  our  title  to  the  Terri- 
tory, and  to  enact  measures  to  encourage  emigration, 
he  said  the  Legislatures  of  two  or  three  States  had 
passed  resolutions  asking  Congress  to  assert  our  rights 
to  the  country  we  claimed  on  the  western  ocean,  and 
to  take  such  other  steps  as  the  urgency  of  the  case 
seemed  to  demand. 

He  had  also  in  his  possession  hundreds  upon  hun- 
dreds of  letters  from  every  quarter  of  the  Union,  making 
anxious  inquiries  as  to  what  was  doing,  and  what  was 
likely  to  be  done  by  Congress,  relative  to  this  long- 
agitated  and  long-deferred  question.  It  was  due  to 
his  correspondents,  his  constituents,  and  to  the  country 


!| 


232 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


generally,  to  let  them  know  the  present  posture  of  this 
business  here.  You  will  recollect,  Mr.  President,  that 
at  a  very  early  day  in  this  session,  I  asked  lea^'c  of  the 
Senate  to  introduce  a  bill  to  authorize  the  adoption  of 
measiu'es  for  the  occupation  and  settlement  of  the  Ter- 
ritoiy  of  Oregon ;  for  extending  certain  portions  of  the 
laws  of  the  United  States  over  the  same,  and  for  other 
purposes. 

The  preamble  of  the  bill  reads  thus : 

'*  Whereas,  the  title  of  the  United  States  to  the 
Territory  of  Oregon  is  certain,  and  will  not  be  aban- 
doned." 

This  declaration  was  important  to  the  citizens  of 
the  United  States  who  reside  in  the  Territory — now 
amounting  to  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  persons. 
To  many  on  the  road  to  the  Territory,  and  to  thousands 
who  were  preparing-  to  move  to  that  region,  it  was  an 
assurance  that,  although  upon  the  verge,  the  extremest 
verge  of  this  Republic,  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  would  not  abandon  them  to  any  foreign  power. 

The  next  paragraph  of  the  bill  authorized  the 
President  of  the  United  States  "  to  cause  to  be  erected 
at  suitable  places  and  distances,  a  line  of  military  posts 
from  some  point  on  the  Missoiui  River  into  the  best 
pass  for  entering  the  valley  of  the  Oregon ;  and,  also, 
at  or  near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River." 

The  estabUshment  of  such  a  line  of  posts  had  been 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


233 


thought  of  by  himself  for  several  years  ])ast — had  been 
recommended  by  Mr,  Poinsett ;  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States  in  his  message  at  the  opening  of  the 
present  session ;  and  also  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 
The  necessity  of  the  establishment  of  a  military  post 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  woidd  arrest  the  atten- 
tion of  the  most  casual  observer.  It  was  hnportant  as 
a  nucleus  around  which  our  infant  colonies  could  be 
firndy  established ;  but,  above  all,  as  a  naval  station, 
where  our  vast  commerce  in  the  Pacific  ocean  could 
take  shelter  in  time  of  war,  and  refit  in  time  of  j)eace. 

The  line  of  military  posts  from  the  Missouri  River 
to  the  Rocky  Mountains  woidd  serve  a  triple  purpose — 
protection  to  the  frontiers  of  Missoiu'i  and  Arkansas  ; 
protection  to  the  Mexican  trade  and  the  fur  trade ;  and 
aiFord  assistance  to  emigrants  on  their  route  to  the 
Territory  of  Oregon. 

For  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  best  points  for 
these  posts.  Lieutenant  Fremont  had  been  despatched 
by  the  War  Department  early  in  the  summer,  whose 
return  is  not  expected  before  the  month  of  November 
next.  From  the  known  abilities  of  this  gentleman,  we 
expec*^  much  valuable  and  interestmg  information  relat- 
ing to  the  valley  of  the  river  Platte ;  which  river  empties 
into  the  Missouri  River,  and  v/hose  sources  almost 
interlock  with  the  branches  of  the  Columbia  River,  in 
the  great  southern  passes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 


I 


;    i  !l' 


234 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


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The  next  paragraph  of  this  bill  provides  "  that  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  shall  be  granted  to 
every  white  male  inhabitant  of  said  Tenitory,  of  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  and  upwards,  who  shall  cultivate 
and  use  the  same  for  five  consecutive  years,  or  to  his 
heir  or  heirs-at-law,  if  such  there  be." 

This,  Mr.  Linn  said,  would  be  nothing  more  than 
a  mere  liberal  donation  to  the  early  pioneers  of  the 
desert.  It  was  the  principle  upon  which  France  and 
Spain,  and,  indeed,  every  other  European  nation  who 
had  made  settlements  upon  this  continent,  had  pro- 
ceeded. It  was  upon  this  foundation  the  "  Old  Thir- 
teen" had  been  built  up,  an'  upon  which  policy  they 
were  wiabled  to  contend  successfully  with  the  mightiest 
power  in  the  world. 

With  such  examples  before  us,  surely  we  shall  not 
pursue  a  less  liberal  course  than  that  of  om'  forefathers. 
Emigrants  may,  therefore,  reasonably  expect  that,  what- 
ever bill  may  pass,  this  pi.jvision,  or  some  one  like  it, 
will  be  preserved  in  it. 

The  next  provides  "  that  the  President  is  hereby 
authorized  and  required  to  appoint  two  additional  In- 
dian Agents,  with  a  salary  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
each,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  (under  his  direction  and 
control)  to  superintend  the  interests  of  the  United 
States  with  any  or  every  Indian  tribe  west  of  any 
agency  now  established  by  law." 


■:!, 


"^if 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN, 


235 


Hitherto,  the  British  Government — or  rather  its 
agents,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company — have  had  un- 
Umited  control  over  the  Territory  and  its  resources — 
have  erected  forts  at  the  most  hnportant  points — estab- 
Ushed  trading-posts  over  the  Territory — ^built  trading- 
vessels — traded  in  lumber  with  the  Sandwich  Islands — 
in  provisions  with  the  Russians  of  the  north — trapped 
the  mountain's  streams  for  their  beaver  -swept  the 
coast  of  the  valuable  sea-otter — established  valuable 
salmon  fisheries  on  the  Columbia — and  exercised  ex- 
clusive dominion  over  all  the  tribes  of  Indians  west  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  was  time  the  people  of  the 
United  States  should  participate  in  these  advantages. 
It  was  time  they  should  have  agents,  thus  qualified,  to 
give  the  government  geographical,  mineralogical,  and  all 
other  information  touching  the  Territory  and  its  natural 
resources;  and  link,  by  the  ties  of  treaties,  all  the  tribes 
of  Indians  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  with  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States. 

Mr.  L.  said  at  this  moment  he  could  do  nothing 
more  than  just  touch  upon  the  various  features  of  the  bill. 

The  next  section  of  the  bill  will  speak  for  itself. 

In  the  numerous  communications  wiiich  he  had 
received  from  various  individuals,  all  speuk  of  the  impor- 
tance of  military  protection,  but  dwell  with  earnestness 
upon  the  absolute  necessity  of  extending  some  portions 
of  the  laws  of  the  United  States  over  the  Territorv. 


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236 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


In  the  opinion  of  the  committee,  it  Avas  thought 
that  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  sections  of  the  bill 
would  be  the  most  effective  in  the  present  condition  of 
things,  that  could  be  devised ;  which  are  as  follows : 

"Sec.  2.  That  the  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction  of 
the  supreme  court  and  district  courts  of  the  Territory 
of  Iowa  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  extended  over  that 
part  of  the  Indian  territories  lying  west  of  the  present 
limits  of  the  said  Territory  of  Iowa,  and  south  of  the 
forty -ninth  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  north  of  the  boundary  line 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Texas, 
not  included  within  the  limits  of  any  State ;  and  also 
over  the  Indian  territories  comprising  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  the  country  between  them  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  south  of  fifty -four  degrees  and  forty  minutes  of 
north  latitude,  and  "»orth  of  the  forty-second  degree  of 
ncrth  latitude ;  and  justices  of  the  peace  may  be  ap- 
pointed for  the  said  territory,  in  the  same  manner  and 
with  the  same  powers  as  are  now  provided  by  law  in 
relation  to  the  Territory  of  Iowa :  Provided,  that  any 
subject  of  the  government  of  Great  Britain,  who  shaU 
have  been  arrested  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  for 
any  crime  alleged  to  have  been  committed  within  the 
territory  westward  of  the  Stony  or  Rocky  Mountains, 
while  the  same  remained  free  and  open  to  the  vessels, 
citizens,  and  subjects  of  the  United  States  and  of  Great 


lit: 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


237 


Britain,  pursuant  to  stipulations  between  the  two 
powers,  shall  be  delivered  up,  on  proof  of  his  being 
such  British  subject,  to  the  nearest  or  most  convenient 
authorities,  having  cognizance  of  such  offence  by  the 
laws  of  Great  Britain,  for  the  purpose  of  being  prose- 
cuted and  tried  according  to  such  laws. 

"  Sec.  3.  Afid  be  it  further  enacted,  that  two  associate 
judges  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  Territory  of  Iowa, 
in  addition  to  the  number  now  authorized  by  law,  shall 
be  appointed  in  the  same  manner,  hold  their  offices  by 
the  same  tenure  and  for  the  same  time,  receive  the  same 
rompensation,  and  possess  all  the  powers  and  authority 
confirmed  by  law  upon  the  associate  judges  of  the  said 
territory ;  and  two  judicial  districts  shall  be  organized 
by  tiie  said  supreme  court,  in  addition  to  the  existing 
number  in  reference  to  the  jurisdiction  conferred  by  this 
act ;  and  district  courts  shall  be  heh^  in  the  said  dis- 
tricts by  one  of  the  judges  of  the  su|)reine  court  at 
such  times  and  places  as  the  said  court  shall  direct ; 
and  the  said  district  courts  shall  possess  all  the  pow  ers 
and  authority  invested  in  the  present  district  courts  of 
the  said  territory,  and  may,  in  like  manner,  appoint 
their  own  clerks. 

"  Sec.  4.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  that  any  justice 
of  the  peace,  appointed  in  and  for  the  territories  de- 
scribed in  the  first  section  of  this  act,  shall  have  power 
to  cause  all  offenders  against  the  laws  of  the  United 


'  if 


» 


'■'  <:li! 


i  ^  \ 


§ 


H:i  mi. 


238 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


,.  !, 


States  to  be  arrested  by  such  persons  as  they  shall  ap- 
point for  that  purpose,  and  to  commit  such  offenders 
to  safe  custody  for  trial,  in  the  same  cases  and  in  tlie 
manner  provided  by  law  in  relation  to  the  territories  of 
the  United  States  or  any  of  l^.iem ;  and  to  cause  tlie 
offenders  so  committed  to  be  conveyed  to  the  place  ap- 
pointed for  the  holding  of  a  district  court  for  the  said 
Territory  of  Iowa,  nearest  and  most  convenient  to  the 
place  of  such  conuuitraent,  there  to  be  detained  for 
trial  by  such  persons  as  shall  be  authorized  for  that 
purpose  by  any  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  or  any 
justice  of  the  peace  of  the  said  territory;  or  where 
such  offenders  are  British  subjects,  to  cause  them  to  be 
delivered  to  the  nearest  or  most  convenient  British 
authorities  as  hereinbefore  provided ;  and  the  expenses 
of  such  commitment,  removal  and  detention,  shall  be 
paid  in  the  same  manner,  as  is  provided  by  law  in 
respect  to  the  fees  of  the  marshal  of  the  said  territory." 

The  committee  unanimously  instructed  their  chair- 
man to  report  this  bill  back  to  the  Senate  with  the  re- 
commendation that  it  pass.  It  was  then  placed  in  its 
order  upon  the  calendar;  but  before  it  came  up  for 
consideration  as  a  special  order,  Lord  Ashburton  arrived 
from  England  to  enter  upon  a  negotiation  touching  all 
points  of  dispute  between  the  two  countries — boun- 
daries as  well  n«?  others ;  Oregon  as  well  as  Maine, 

In  that  posture  of  affairs,  it  was  considered  on  all 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


239 


hands  indelicate  (not  to  say  imwise)  to  press  the  bill 
to  a  decision  whilst  these  negotiations  were  pending. 
They  are  now  over,  and  a  treaty  is  published  to  the 
world,  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain ; 
in  which  it  seems  that  the  question  of  the  Oregon 
Territory  has  been  deferred  to  some  more  remote  or 
auspicious  period  for  an  ultimate  decision.  He  said 
he  vas  confident  that  there  were  majorities  in  both 
branches  of  Congress  in  favor  of  this  bill ;  and  he  felt 
equally  certain  that  it  would  have  passed  this  session 
but  for  the  arrival  of  Lord  Ashburton,  and  the  penden  jy 
of  the  negotiations  which  terminated  a  short  period 
since.  He  should  deem  it  his  imperative  duty  at  an 
early  day  of  the  coming  session  to  bring  in  the  same 
bill,  and  press  it  to  a  final  decision.  That  the  decision 
would  be  favorable,  he  did  not  entertain  the  slightest 
doubt;  and  he  took  great  pleasure  in  making  that 
opinion  public  (as  far  as  his  opinion  was  of  any  weight), 
for  the  satisfaction  of  all  those  who  may  take  an  interest 
in  the  occupation  of  this  new  and  beautiful  country, 
the  germ  of  future  States,  to  be  settled  by  the  Anglo- 
Amercan  race,  and  which  will  extend  our  limits  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


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Again  Mr.  Linn  was  urged  by  friends  not  to  press 
the  consideration  of  this  bill  upon  the  Senate  at  this 
session,  on  account  of  the  negotiations  that  were  then 


240 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


I  if' 


ii 


I":   •<> 


pending  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States, 
Lord  Ashburton  then  being  in  Washington  as  a  special 
minister  extraordinary  from  that  government  to  ours ; 
and  again  he  yielded  to  their  urgent  solicitations  against 
his  own  anxious  desire  that  some  measure  should  be 
adopted  by  Congress  to  assert  and  preserve  our  rights, 
and  protect  our  people  in  Oregon. 

Early  in  the  next  session  Dr.  Linn,  true  to  the 
pledge  he  had  voluntarily  given,  not  to  permit  our 
clahns  to  this  country  to  slumber,  brought  up  his  bill 
again  in  the  Senate,  and  pressed  it  with  great  ardor 
and  perseverance,  and  on  various  occasions  combated 
the  objections  made  to  it  by  several  senators,  and  urged 
with  force  and  eloquence  ;  among  these  were  Mr.  Cal- 
houn, Mr.  Archer,  Mr.  McDuffie,  Mr.  Crittenden,  Mr. 
Conrad,  Mr.  Choate,  and  Mr.  Berrien ;  but  he  was 
ably  supported  by  his  colleagues,  Mr.  Benton,  Mr. 
Young,  Mr.  Walker,  Mr.  Sevier,  Mr.  Buchanan,  and 
Mr.  Phelps. 

After  much  conflict  the  bill  was  passed  by  the 
Senate,  Feb.  6,  1843,  by  a  vote  of  24  to  22. 

Thus,  after  laboring  incessantly  for  five  years,  from 
the  7th  of  Feb.  1838,  when  he  first  brought  in  a  bill 
authorizing  the  occupation  of  Oregon,  he  at  last  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  bill  passed  by  the  Senate, 
and  his  persevering  efforts  crowned  at  least  with  partial 


t:AL 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


241 


success.  Well  might  he  feel  a  just  pride  and  a  throb 
of  joy,  and  well  might  his  friends  congratulate  him 
upon  the  passage  of  that  measure  he  had  taken  so  deep 
and  lively  an  interest  in,  and  the  consummation  of  which 
seemed  to  be  the  most  important  object  of  his  public 
life.  Speaking  of  this  measure,  Colonel  Benton  as 
magnanimously  as  truthfully  said  in  his  speech  at  St. 
Louis,  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  convened  to  testify 
their  respect  for  the  memory  of  Dr.  Linn,  "  But  how 
can  I  omit  the  last  great  act  as  yet  unfinished,  in  which 
his  whole  soul  was  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  death  ? 
The  bill  for  the  settlement  and  occupation  of  Oregon 
was  his,  and  he  carried  it  through  the  Sen:  lo  when  his 
colleague,  who  now  addresses  you,  could  not  have  done 
it.  This  is  another  historical  truth  fit  to  be  made 
known  on  this  occasion,  and  which  is  now  declared  to 
this  large  and  respectable  assembly  under  all  the  cir- 
cumstances which  impart  solemnity  to  the  declaration. 
He  carried  that  bill  through  the  Senate,  and  it  was  the 
measure  of  a  statesman.  Just  to  the  settler,  it  was 
wise  to  the  government.  ******** 
Alas,  that  he  should  not  have  been  spared  to  put  the 
finishing  hand  to  a  measure  which  was  to  reward  the 
emigrant,  to  protect  his  country,  to  curb  England,  and 
to  connect  his  own  name  with  the  foundation  of  an 
empire.     But  it  is  done  !  the  unfinished  work  will  go 


;iu 


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16 


242 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


on ;  it  will  be  completed,  and  the  name  of  Linn  will 
not  be  forgotten ;  that  name  will  live  and  be  connected 
with  Oregon  while  its  banks  bear  a  plant,  or  its  waters 
roll  a  wave." 

And  the  work  did  go  on.  Dr.  Linn  had  given  it 
such  an  impetus  that  it  could  not  stop.  He  had 
aroused  the  public  mind  to  the  importance  of  securing 
this  beautiful  and  valuable  country  from  the  grasp  of 
Great  Britain.  The  people  demanded  that  the  govern- 
ment should  take  possession  of  and  occupy  it ;  that 
it  should  be  secured  to  us,  and  to  us  exclusively ;  and 
that  an  American  government  should  be  estabhshed 
there  for  the  protection  of  American  citizens,  which  has 
been  done.  That  country  is  now  our  own  exclusively ; 
and  out  of  it  have  been  formed  two  territories,  Oregon 
and  Washington,  which  will  ere  long  come  into  the 
great  republican  family  of  States,  and  become  the  seat 
of  agriculture,  manufactures,  commerc  learning  and 
wealth. 

Well  might  Col.  Benton  pronounce  the  great  work 
undertaken  by  Dr.  Linn,  and  so  long  persevered  in, 
"  the  measure  of  a  statesman."  With  that  measure  is 
his  name  inseparably  connected ;  and  so  long  as  the 
green  hills  of  Oregon  and  Washington  are  covered  with 
flocks  and  herds,  and  their  fruitful  valleys  wave  with 
golden  harvests,  will  the  name  of  Linn  be  held  in  grate- 


?' 


•ji.^ 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


243 


ful  remembrance  by  every  American  who  proudly  sur- 
veys the  majestic  hills,  the  rich  valleys,  the  noble  stj'eams, 
the  gigantic  forests,  and  the  deep  and  spacious  bays  of 
the  Noi*th-West,  and  exultingly  exclaims, 

"  This  is  my  own,  my  native  land." 


ufli 


•■■■*  I, 


xiM 


^1   ::IM 


MM 


':'■  *  i 

m 


r, , ! 


CHAPTER   V. 

DUELLING. — THE    CILLEY   DUEL. 

On  the  24th  day  of  February,  1838,  took  place  an 
event  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  Washington  which 
shocked  the  pubHc  mind  over  the  whole  country,  and 
cast  a  gloom  upon  every  countenance  within  the  limits 
of  the  national  metropolis.  Such  was  the  deep  and 
solemn  impression  made  by  the  tragical  event  alluded 
to,  that  it  still  lingers  in  the  memory  of  those  who  were 
then  upon  the  stage  of  action,  and  a  recurrence  to  the 
subject  again  brings  up  something  of  the  painful  emo- 
tions so  keenly  felt  at  the  time. 

Tlie  reader  will  understand  that  I  allude  lo  the 
death  of  the  Hon.  Jonathan  Cilley,  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  from  the  State  of  Maine,  in 
a  duel  with  Mr.  Graves,  a  representative  in  Congress 
from  the  State  of  Kentucky ;  commonly  called  "  the 
Cilley  duel." 


>.    jfl 

m 

*■■:!!  m 

kHI 

PmE| 

Ltli 

LIFE    OP    DR.    LINN. 


245 


Growing  as  it  did  out  of  the  heated  poUtical  con- 
flicts of  the  day,  and  taking  place  between  two  gentle- 
men between  whom  there  existed  no  enmity  whatever, 
and  had  been  no  controversy  of  any  kind, — upon  a 
mere  punctilio,  resulting  in  the  death  of  one  who  bore 
malice  against  no  human  being,  least  of  all  against  him 
by  whose  hand  he  fell,  who  was  equally  free  from  all 
unkind  feeling  towards  him,  every  circumstance  attend- 
ing the  tragedy  was  calculated  to  produce  deep  and 
painful  sensations. 

The  subject  was  brought  before  the  House,  referred 
to  a  select  committee  to  investigate  and  inquire  into  the 
facts  and  report  to  the  House,  which  was  done,  and  a 
bill  was  brought  in,  passed,  and  sent  to  the  Senate  for 
the  prevention  and  punishment  of  duelling  in  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia.  This  bill  having  been  taken  up  for 
consideration  in  the  Senate, 

Mr.  Clayton  expressed  his  objections  to  duelling 
in  a  very  pointed  manner,  and  his  sincere  desire  to  do 
all  in  his  power  to  suppress  it.  He  very  much  doubted, 
however,  the  efficacy  of  the  bill  before  them.  Such 
was  the  severity  of  some  of  its  provisions,  that  it  would 
be  next  to  impossible  to  procure  conviction  under  it. 
One  of  the  provisions  sought  to  make  the  sending  of  a 
challenge  felony,  which  was  only  a  misdemeanor  in  the 
eye  of  the  common  law.  He  admitted  the  practice  of 
duelling  to  be  both  illegal  and  immoral ;  yet  he  con- 


240 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


tended  that  it  was  not  of  that  class  of  crime  which 
should  subject  the  oiFender  to  the  cell  of  a  penitentiary, 
and  make  him  the  associate  of  the  vilest  felons.  There 
was  nothing  in  the  offence  that  was  either  base,  or  mean, 
or  sordid ;  neither  were  likely  to  be  engaged  in  it  persons 
whom  we  would  dare  to  send  to  a  penitentiary  to  be 
classed  with  thieves  and  vagabonds.  The  moral  sense 
of  the  community  would  be  shocked  at  such  a  measure, 
and  such  a  law  would  be  rendered  a  mere  nullity  from 
the  hiterference  of  the  executive  prerogative.  He  de- 
precated duelling,  and  would  go  all  reasonable  lengths 
against  it,  and  he  thought  some  legal  provision  necessary. 
He  would  vote  for  the  bill  as  amended  by  the  judiciary 
committee,  though  he  believed  it  would  not  have  the 
good  effect  its  friends  designed. 

Mr.  Linn  said  the  senator  from  Delaware  (Mr. 
Clayton)  had  treated  the  subject  with  so  much  sound 
practical  sense,  that  little  else  could  be  said  on  the  sub- 
ject. Wliat  community  (asked  Mr.  L.)  could  be  found 
that  would  pronounce  a  man  either  a  murderer  or  a 
felon,  who  might  have  chanced  to  kill  another  in  fair 
and  equal  combat  ?  He  was  persuaded  that  no  man 
acting  on  his  responsibility  as  a  juror  would  render 
such  a  verdict.  Many  of  the  States  had  passed  severe 
penal  laws  in  relation  to  this  matter,  and  yet  in  what 
State  had  they  been  enforced?  Other  States  had 
adopted  milder  remedies,  such  as  disfranchisement  of 


j^» 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


247 


citizenship,  rendering  the  guilty  for  ever  incapable  of 
hoUliiig  any  office  of  honor,  trust  or  profit;  and  such 
laws  he  maintained  had  a  more  wholesome  action  than 
those  severe  and  unjust  enactments,  because  the  one 
was  generally  carried  into  effect,  while  the  other  Avcre 
but  a  dead  letter  upon  the  statute  book.  To  illustrate 
the  effect  of  public  opinion  on  this  subject,  Mr.  L.  in- 
stanced a  case  that  had  taken  place  in  his  own  State, 
where  a  small  man,  for  a  supposed  offence,  was  cruelly 
lashed  by  a  large  one,  the  residt  of  which  was  a  chal- 
lenge and  a  duel  in  which  the  first  assailant  fell  mortally 
wounded.  The  survivor  was  found  guilty  under  the 
laws  of  Missouri,  when  a  petition  signed  by  an  immense 
number  was  presented  to  the  legislature  for  his  pardon, 
and  this  was  granted  almost  by  acclamation.  And 
such,  said  Mr.  L.,  would  be  the  result  in  all  cases  where 
the  law  inflicts  penalties  against  which  the  public  feeling 
revolts.  He  was  aware  that  duelling  was  not  defensible 
upon  the  principles  of  Christianity,  neither  was  war,  and 
yet  how  frequently  had  war  been  engaged  in  by  Chris- 
tian nations.  If  such  a  bill  could  be  introduced  as 
would  strike  at  the  root  of  the  evil,  and  one  whose 
penalties  would  be  likely  to  be  enforcec",  he  would 
cheerfully  give  i :  his  support. 

Mr.  Smith  of  Conn,  having  spoken  long  and  vehe- 
mently in  favor  of  the  biU,  and  denomirated  duellists 
murderers  and  assassins, 


\i:-m 


'i^Ai 


n  i 


.if  > 


:i'. 


248 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


Mr.  Linn  replied,  repudiating  the  idea  of  calling 
men  murderers  and  felons  because  they  had  fought 
duels  ;  some  of  the  purest  and  best  men  on  earth,  he 
said,  had  been  engaged  in  them,  and  were  tiiey  to  be 
so  stigmatized?  The  question  before  them  was,  how 
the  practice  of  duelling  could  be  prevented  ?  and  to 
this  he  would  answer,  not  by  cruel  and  sanguinary  laws 
which  would  in  no  instance  be  carried  into  effect.  lie 
thought  there  were  cases  of  deadly  insult  which  few 
men  would  not  be  ready  to  resent  at  all  risks,  whatever 
the  penalties  aginst  duelling  might  be ;  and  from  the 
warmth  the  gentleman  from  Connecticut  had  exhibited, 
he  was  quite  sure  he  woidd  be  one  of  the  last  men  to 
pass  such  an  insiUt  over  unnoticed. 

There  was  subsequently  much  discussion  upon 
amendments  proposed  to  the  bill,  in  which  Mr,  Linn 
took  part.  It  finally  passed  the  Senate  without  a 
division ;  its  title  being,  "  a  bill  to  prohibit  the  giving 
or  accepting,  within  the  District  of  Columbia,  of  a  chal- 
lenge to  fight  a  duel,  and  for  the  punishment  thereof." 
This  became,  and  is  now,  a  law.  Whether  this  law, 
or  the  "  Cilley  duel "  has  had  the  effect  to  render  duelhng 
less  frequent  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  there  may  be 
differences  of  opinion ;  but  that  no  duel  has  since 
taken  place  within  the  District,  is  a  fact  well  known. 
Several  challenges  have  passed,  however,  between  mem- 
bers of  Congress,  and  one  dud  (Oetween  Mr.  Chngman 


1 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


249 


and  Mr.  Yancey)  has  been  fought  outside  of  the  Dis- 
trict ;  happily  with  no  injury  to  either  party. 

Dr.  Linn  said  in  the  course  of  some  remarks  upon 
the  dueUing  bill,  that  if  gentlemen  were  determined  to 
fight  a  duel,  this  bill  would  not  prevent  them ;  that 
they  could  easily  invite  each  other  to  take  tea  at  some 
place  outside  the  District,  or  to  meet  them  for  some 
other  apparently  harmless  and  legitimate  purpose,  but 
with  an  understanding  between  them  that  it  was  for  a 
hostile  purpose.  And  such  has  been  the  case  in  two 
or  three  instances.  Nevertheless  it  can  hardly  be 
doubted  that  the  obstacles  which  the  law  interposes, 
and  the  penalties  it  inflicts  have  operated,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  public  opinion,  since  "  the  Cilley  duel,"  to 
greatly,  if  not  entirely,  check  the  practice  among  mem- 
bers of  Congress.  It  is,  however,  to  be  observed  that 
the  practice  of  duelling  is,  and  has  been  for  twenty 
years  past,  on  the  decrease  in  every  section  of  the  Union. 

It  may  be  the  most  fitting  place  here  to  mention, 
that  about  three  years  after  this  period,  namely,  in 
1841,  Dr.  Linn  was  himself  drawn  into  an  aflair  of 
this  kind  as  the  friend  and  second  of  one  of  the 
parties.  I  refer  to  the  well-remembered  misunder- 
standing between  Mr.  Clay,  and  Col.  King  of  Ala- 
bama. But  while  he  acted  as  the  second  of  the  latter, 
he  was  the  friend  of  both,  and  used  his  best  effcM'ts  to 
bring  about  an  honorable  and  satisfactory  miderstand- 


:  Mi^U 


it' 


^!  I 


250 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN, 


ing  between  these  distinguished  senators.  Happily  his 
own,  aided  by  the  good  offices  of  Mr.  Archer,  Mr. 
Preston,  and  other  friends  of  Mr.  Clay,  brought  about 
mutual  explanations  and  a  reconciliation,  and  averted  a 
hostile  meeting. 

OFFICIAL   REPORTERS. 

Dr.  Linn,  during  the  whole  ten  years  he  occupied 
a  seat  in  the  Senate,  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  the 
business  before  the  body,  and  especially  to  those  sub- 
jects that  more  immediately  interested  his  own  consti- 
tuents and  the  people  of  the  great  West.  It  was  ex- 
ceedingly rare  that  he  was  absent  from  his  seat  when 
a  vote  was  taken  j  and  in  his  constant  attendance, 
fidelity  to  his  duties,  and  refraining  from  unnecessarily 
occupying  the  time  of  the  Senate  in  desultory  talk  or 
long  and  elaborate  speeches,  he  set  an  example  which 
the  public  have  great  reason  to  wish  should  be  closely 
followed  by  many  who  n.>w  fill  the  places  )f  those  who 
have  passed  aAvay.  Dr.  Linn  was  absent  on  one  occa- 
sion, when  a  vote  by  ayes  and  noes  was  taken  in  the 
Senate,  on  a  subject  on  which  he  was  desirous  to  re- 
cord his  vote.  On  retmiiing  to  the  Senate  Chamber, 
and  finding  the  vote  had  been  taken  in  his  absence,  he 
rose,  and  stated  he  should  have  been  glad  to  have 
recorded  his  vote,  and  the  coiu-tesy  of  the  Senate, 
might,  if  appealed  to,  accord  him  the  privilege  of 


1 

f^. 

R^'^''^ 

III 

■■ " 

LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


251 


doing  so ;  nevertheless,  as  he  was  absent,  and  as  he 
thought  every  Senator  ought,  if  he  could,  to  be  present 
whenever  a  vote  was  taken,  he  liould  not  ask  the  pri- 
vilege of  voting ;  as  a  reason  for  his  absence,  he  said  he 
had  had  occasion  to  step  to  his  coinmittee  room  to  get 
a  paper  he  then  needed,  not  expecting  that  the  vote 
would  be  so  soon  taken;  and  thus  he  had  deprived 
himself  of  the  privilege  of  voting. 

Dr.  Linn  stated  truly,  and  what  every  Senator 
would  bear  cheerful  witness  to  (June  17,  1840),  that 
"  It  was  very  seldom  he  trespassed  upon  the  time  or 
the  patience  of  the  Senate,  except  on  business,  and 
then  he  endeavored  to  use  no  more  words  than  were 
barely  sufficient  to  explain  to  the  Senate  the  subject  he 
had  in  hand,  or  the  object  he  desired." 

This  casual  remark,  dropped  unpremeditatedly, 
presents  to  us  the  great  rule  and  maxim  of  his  sena- 
torial life ;  and  it  furnishes  us  with  the  reason  why  we 
meet  with  so  few  speeches  from  him  in  the  published 
debates  of  the  Senate,  for  the  time  he  was  a  member 
of  the  body.  His  purpose  was,  not  to  enlarge,  elabo- 
rate and  expand  the  language  which  clothed  his  ideas, 
like  the  ample  folds  which  cover  the  diminutive  body 
of  some  fine  lady,  but  to  condense  and  compress  them 
into  the  fewest  words  possible.  He  indulged  in  no 
ambitious  desire  to  produce  an  effect  or  impression  upon 
the  Senate  or  the  galleries,  by  any  display  of  rhetoric. 


t  J 


fi 


-14 1 


4  ,    >!' 


;i4 


252 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


PitiiC 


i.  i  ■ 


ill    i 


r 


"  The  applause  of  listening  Senates  to  command," 

was  neither  his  ambition  nor  his  vocation ;  though,  from 
the  evidences  he  occasionally  gave,  no  one  could  doubt 
that  had  he  been  ambitious  of  a'3qiiiring  reputation  as 
an  orator,  he  could  easily  have  i*ttained  that  object, 
possessing  as  he  did,  a  large  fund  of  scientific,  literary, 
critical,  and  historical  information,  a  lively  hnagina- 
tion,  correct  taste,  an  easy  and  copious  flow  of  lan- 
guage, a  good  voice,  an  impressive  presence,  and  an 
agreeable  manner. 

Od.  the  occasion  of  some  complaint  being  made  by 
senators,  of  the  incorrect  manner  in  which  their  re- 
marks were  often  reported,  Dr.  Linn  said  he  did  not 
rise  to  make  any  complaint  against  the  reporters  on 
either  side  of  the  House,  but  to  say  that  the  discussion 
going  on,  proved  conclusively  to  his  mind,  that  the 
reporters  should  be  sworn  officers  of  the  Senate,  and 
compelled  to  fui'nish  each  member  with  notes  of  what 
he  said.  "Our  constituents,"  said  Mr.  L.,  "have  a 
right  to  know  what  we  say,  as  well  as  what  we  do. 
The  journal  showed  all  their  votes,  but  what  was  said 
in  support  or  explanation  of  them,  went  to  the  public 
in  a  very  imperfect  manner.  He  thought  that  the 
body  would  see  the  propriety  of  his  suggestion.  If 
this  plan  were  adopted,  each  member  would  have  notes 
furnished  him,  and  then  the  responsibility  would  no 
longer  rest  on  the  reporters,  but  where  it  should,  upon 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


253 


those  who  spoke.  Every  difficulty  would  be  obviated 
by  the  course  indicated,  and  each  member  held  respon- 
sible for  the  sentiments,  opinions  and  facts,  stated  by 
him  in  debate.  He  said  he  Avould  be  glad  if  some 
member  would  move  a  resolution  to  appoint  a  com- 
mittee to  inquire  into  the  eipedisncy  of  making 
reporters  sworn  officers  of  the  Senate. 

In  pursuance  of  this  suggestion  from  the  Senator 
from  Missouri,  INIr.  Walker  said,  he  submitted  the  fol- 
lowing resolution : 

Besolved,  That  a  select  committee  be  appointed 
to  inquire  into  the  propriety  of  selecting  an  equal  num- 
ber of  reporters,  of  both  political  parties,  who  shall  be 
sworn  to  report  correctly,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  body. 

Though  the  Doctor's  plan  was  not  then  carried  into 
effect,  it  has  since  been  adopted  with  modifications,  and 
is  now  in  operation.  Every  word  now  uttered  in 
either  House  of  Congress,  is  taken  down  with  wonder- 
ful accuracy  and  despatch. 

PRE-EMPTION  TO  SETTLERS  ON  THE  PUBLIC  LANDS. 

In  the  subject  of  Pre-emption  to  settlers  on  the 
Public  Lands  in  the  new  States,  Dr.  Linn  manifested 
a  warm  interest,  and  devoted  to  it  much  time.  There 
were  few  of  greater  concern  to  the  hardy  pioneers  who 


^  \ 


ill 


% 


•ti 


t 


254 


LIFE   OF    DR     LINN. 


■1  .  ■ 


i'i 


\iM 


pushed  forward  beyond  the  conveniences  of  roads, 
bridges,  settlements,  neighborhoods,  schools,  churches, 
and  medical  aid,  subduing  the  wilderness,  marking  out 
the  way  and  preparing  it  for  the  great  wave  of  emigra- 
tion, which  advanced  with  such  mighty  force  and 
steady  onward  power  in  their  rear.  The  subject  came 
frequently  before  Congress,  and  was  much  and  ably 
discussed.  On  the  one  side,  it  was  contended,  that 
these  pioneers  were  trespassers  upon  the  pu1)lic  lands, 
that  they  went  upon  them  in  their  own  wrong,  in  defi- 
ance of  law,  and  for  the  pui-pose  of  securing  for  them- 
selves and  their  families  the  choicest  locations ;  that,  if 
they  suffered  hardships  and  privations,  no  one,  least  of 
all,  had  the  government  requested  them  to  expose 
themselves  to  these,  or  to  push  forward  beyond  and  in 
advance  of  the  great  stream  of  emigration  and  settle- 
ment, and  locate  upon  the  lands  before  they  were  sur- 
veyed and  brought  into  market.  It  was  also  urged 
against  the  pre-emption  system,  that  it  was  giving  away 
our  choicest  lands  to  foreigners,  to  whom  it  was  an  in- 
vitation to  come  and  take  them,  almost  without  money 
and  without  price ;  and  thus,  in  a  manner,  building  up 
whole  States  with  persons  of  foreign  birth. 

Mr.  Benton,  having  introduced  "  a  bill  to  establish 
a  pennanent  prospective  pre-emption  system,"  sus- 
tained it  in  an  able,  argumentative  speech,  in  reply  to 
which  Mr.  Mangum  spoke  at  length. 


i>i 


¥M. 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


255 


Mr.  Linn  then  defended  the  bill  and  advocated  the 
pre-emption  system  of  disposing  of  the  public  lands. 
He  said  the  country  had  been  settled  on  the  pre-emp- 
tive system  from  the  beginning;  and  he  wished  to 
keep  the  beginning,  the  middle,  and  the  end  together. 
In  allusion  to  the  epithets  applied  by  some  gentlemen 
to  the  settlers,  of  "  squatters"  and  "  land-stealers,"  and 
of  the  opinions  of  others  in  contradiction  to  his  state- 
ment, that  a  small  civil  force,  and  an  enforcement  of  the 
laws,  would  preserve  the  public  land  from  encroach- 
ment, he  said  that  it  was  a  scriptural  injunction  to 
man,  to  possess  the  earth  and  replenish  it ;  but  if  it 
were  "  land  steahng,"  this  was  a  nation  of  land  stealers 
from  the  beginning,  for  they  had  either  stolen  it  or 
cheated  the  Indians  out  of  it ;  and,  therefore,  the 
appellation  would  apply  equally  to  their  forefathers. 
That  the  movement  of  the  people  would  be  onward, 
he  again  asserted ;  and  he  denied  that  the  laws  were 
a  sufficient  safeguard  of  the  public  lands.  Jurors 
could  not  be  found  to  convict  in  such  cases,  which  were 
uniformly  decided  against  the  government,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  many  thousand  dollars.  Would  they,  then, 
send  an  army  to  destroy  the  "  squatters  ?  "  If  he  had 
an  enemy  in  the  world  (and  he  believed  he  had  not 
many),  he  woidd  wish  him  no  greater  infliction  than  the 
scorpion  stings  of  conscience  with  which  the  execution 
of  such  a  commission  would  be  succeeded.     It  was  not 


^    1 

V    ,'!', 


'    4)' 


-V 


it   '  "'■"' 


r. 


I 


^'ii 


!!:  M 


i  i 


256 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


unusual  by  legislation,  to  heal  breaches  in  the  law. 
Charters  were  sometimes  violated,  and  legislation  was 
resorted  to  to  heal  the  breach.  Here,  then,  was  a 
breach  of  the  law  by  the  settlers,  and  they  were  asked 
to  pass  that  bill  to  heal  that  breach." 

The  bill  having  been  ably  discussed  by  Mr.  Benton, 
Mr.  Clay  of  Alabama,  Mr.  Mangum,  Mr.  Buchanan, 
Mr.  Clay  of  Ky.,  Mr.  Wright,  and  other  senators, 

Mr.  Linn  rose  to  make  a  few  observations,  and  to 
notice  some  of  the  remarks  of  the  honorable  senator 
from  Kentucky  (Mr.  Clay),  which  referred  to  what 
he,  Mr.  L.,  had  said  on  a  former  day,  in  regard  to  the 
application  of  force  to  carry  into  eifect  the  prohibitory 
laws  against  those  who  settled  on,  and  used  the 
public  lands,  and  for  whose  benefit  pre-emption  laws 
had  been  passed  by  Congress  from  time  to  time.  Mr. 
L.  had  then  expressed  the  opinion,  that  it  was  physi- 
cally impossible  to  remove,  by  force,  those  who  are 
usually  termed  "  squatters  "  upon  the  public  domain. 
He  had  often  expressed  that  opinion  here  and  elsewhere ; 
it  was  the  settled  conviction  of  his  mind.  And  he  now 
put  the  question  to  the  honorable  senator  from  Ky. 
(Mr.  Clay),  whether  he  would,  were  he  in  the  execu- 
tive chair  of  the  United  States,  wield  the  military 
power  of  the  government,  in  an  endeavor  to  dispossess 
them  ?  "  He  would  like  to  see  the  man  who  would 
avow    such  an  intention.     The  orders   undoubtedly 


i« ', 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


257 


might  be  issued ;  but  could  the  officers  of  the  army 
execute  them,  even  if  they  woukl  ?  He  apprehended 
not.  On  this  subject  it  might  be  well  to  advert  to 
what  had  been  said  so  well,  by  his  friend  from  Arkansas 
(Mr.  Sevier),  the  other  day,  of  this  experiment,  when 
tried  only  in  a  very  small  way.  Orders  were  given  to 
the  military,  and  the  officers  attempted,  nay,  did  remove 
the  settlers  from  what  is  called  Langley's  Purchase, 
which  had  been  wrenched  from  the  Temtory  of  Arkan- 
sas by  a  treaty  with  some  tribes  of  Indians  within  the 
borders  of  an  old  State,  and  for  the  benefit  and  accom- 
modation of  that  State.  The  district  of  country  thus 
severed  from  the  territory  was  three  hundred  miles  in 
length  and  forty  miles  wide.  The  officers  had  no 
sooner  executed  their  orders,  and  tuiiied  their  backs, 
than  the  inhabitants  returned  to  the  lands  which  they 
claimed.  Their  houses  had  been  burned ;  they  rebuilt 
them.  Their  crops  had  been  cut  up  and  destroyed ; 
they  replanted  them.  They  were  driven  off  a  second 
time,  and  a  second  time  they  returned.  Thus  they 
persevered  until  the  government  gave  up  the  contest ; 
and  finally  granted  to  each  family  as  an  indemnity  for 
their  losses,  three  himdred  and  twenty  acres  of  land ; 
whilst  those  who  had  respected  the  laws,  and  quietly 
quitted  their  homes,  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the 
government,  will  receive  but  one  hundred  and  sixty 

acres,  by  the  bill  which  passed  this  House  only  a  few 

17 


11 


„!'■*; 


'¥'% 


; 


ui 


Mm 

I.I 


cm 


258 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


days  ago.  Now,  if  the  power  of  the  goveriinient  could 
not  enforce  its  prohibitions  in  the  single  State  of  Arkan- 
sas, at  that  time  a  feeble  and  dependent  territory,  how 
was  it  likely  to  succeed  through  the  extended  line  from 
Lake  Superior  to  the  Sabhie  River  ?  Before  such  an 
operation  could  ever  be  attempted,  you  must  augment 
the  number  of  your  army,  for  ihe  whole  military  force 
of  the  country,  as  it  now  stands,  would  be  totally  in- 
adequate to  accomplish  such  an  object.  The  very  idea 
has  in  it  something  ludicrous,  if  not  Quixotic,  to  those 
acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  subject.  It  would 
certainly  be  a  most  amusing  spectacle  to  behold  our 
gallant  and  chivalric  officers,  or^  'ipied  in  driving  the 
helpless  women  and  inoffensive  children  from  their 
homes  and  habitations,  whilst  their  husbands  and  fathers 
were  ready  with  their  rifles  to  pour  upon  them  certain 
destruction  from  the  woods  and  thickets !  The  very 
attempt  would  lead  to  their  extermination,  thereby 
adducing  a  new  proof  that  there  is  but  one  step  from 
the  sublhne  to  the  ridiculous.  The  truth  is,  that  the 
law  prohibiting  such  settlement  was  practically  a  dead 
letter,  and  must  remain  so. 

In  our  early  history,  there  was  no  law  prohibiting 
our  people  from  settling  where  they  pleased  on  the  un- 
occupied public  lands.  The  first  law  upon  that  subject 
was  passed  in  1807,  and  seemed  to  be  intended  against 
those  who  claimed  lands  mider  the  French  and  Spanish 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


259 


grants  in  Lomsania,  and  the  object  was  to  prevent 
those  who  had  only  an  inchoate  title  under  such 
grants,  from  going  upon  the  public  domain,  and  locating 
and  surveying  such  claims  as  had  not  been  surveyed; 
and  a  most  iniquitous  law  it  was.  He  would  speak 
with  respect  of  the  legislation  of  Congress,  but  such 
was  his  opinion  of  that  law,  and  he  conceived  it  might 
be  easily  proved.  He  now  repeated  his  assertion,  that 
the  attempt  to  pass  any  law  to  restrain  the  American 
people  from  settling  on  the  public  lands,  Avas  worse 
than  useless.  Congress  might  employ  itself  in  passing 
such  edicts  as  often  as  it  pleased,  but  it  never  could 
have  one  of  them  effectually  enforced. 

As  to  pre-emption  laws,  there  were  now  whole  dis- 
tricts occupied  under  them,  which  would  have  remained 
a  howling  wilderness  for  years  but  for  the  settlers  having 
preceded  your  surveyors,  and  it  is  now  an  important 
policy  to  bring  those  lands  into  market.  They  would 
yield  the  treasury  millions  of  dollars  for  the  benefit  of 
the  country. 

Antecedent  to  the  year  1820,  the  public  lands  were 
sold  upon  a  credit  system  or  a  system  of  part  cash — 
one  quarter,  and  the  remainder  credit.  This  was  in 
its  operation  a  pre-emption  law,  because  it  enabled  the 
poor  man  to  take  possession  of  a  choice  piece  of  land  on 
the  payment  of  a  few  dollars,  and  allowed  him  the 
period  of  five  years  to  pay  up  the  remainder  by  instal- 


^, 


':l 


t  'f  ■ 


::sj:li 


api 


260 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


ments,  which  he  coukl  easily  aceomphsh  from  the  pro- 
duce of  his  hibor.  The  general  principle  of  pre-eui])- 
tion  itself  was  the  principal  plan  of  the  old  thirteen 
States  of  the  revolution,  Avliich  enabled  them  success- 
fully to  battle  with  the  mother  country  in  the  revo- 
lution. 

Virginia  had  her  pre-emption  laws  which  extended 
to  Kentucky  at  an  early  period.  Much  of  the  lands 
situated  in  the  Green  River  country  sold  for  a  few 
cents  the  acre  under  the  head-right  occupancy,  which 
was  no  more  nor  less  than  a  pre-emption  laAv.  By  the 
old  laws  of  Peinisylvania,  and  most  of  the  other  Atlan- 
tic States,  a  mere  nominal  payment  of  "  a  penny  "  or 
"  a  peppercorn,"  or  the  girding  a  few  trees,  or  the 
building  of  a  log  cabin,  was  considered  an  ample  equiv- 
alent for  the  land.  The  public  lands  were  not  then 
expected  to  produce  any  amount  of  money ;  that  was 
not  the  object  in  view,  but  to  get  them  settled  as 
speedily  as  possible ;  nor  would  they  ever  have  yielded 
the  government  a  single  dollar,  but  for  the  enterpris- 
ing, hardy  settlers,  who  literally  buried  themselves  in 
the  woods  and  wilds,  and  who,  at  the  expense  of  priva- 
tion, hardship,  suffering  and  hard  labor,  prepared  the 
wilderness  for  becoming  the  abode  of  such  as  followed 
them  in  the  second  line  of  emigration,  and  who  pre- 
ferred to  purchase  "improvements,"  rather  than  go 
into  the  wilderness  to  make  them. 


ir^i 


LIF£   OF   BR.   LINN. 


261 


a- 


Regarding  this  question  in  an  enlarged,  national 
point  of  view,  it  appeared  to  him  that  every  reasonable 
encouragement  should  be  given  to  the  extension  of  our 
settlements  to  aid  in  the  development  of  oiu'  resources. 
Under  the  invitation  of  the  government,  already  ad- 
verted to,  the  extensive  and  fertile  regions  in  Upper  Illi- 
nois, Wisconsin  and  Iowa,  were  rapidly  peo})led.  The 
flourishing  and  populous  towns  of  (ialena,  Dubuque, 
and  many  others,  sprang  into  existence  like  magic,  and 
in  a  few  years  the  wilderness  was  made  to  blossom  like 
a  garden.  Look  for  one  moment  at  the  residts.  This 
j)eople  dug  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth  hidden  riches, 
and  from  that  time  have  increased  the  production  of 
lead  until  it  amounts  annually  to  twenty  or  thirty  mil- 
lions of  pounds,  being  perhaps  sufficient  to  render  us 
independent  of  foreign  nations  for  this  important 
material  necessary  to  our  defence  in  time  of  war,  and 
entering  largely  into  consumption  in  the  arts.  Massa- 
chussetts  and  other  manufacturing  States  are  as  much 
interested  as  we  of  the  West  are,  or  more  even  than 
we  are,  as  they  supply  us  with  manufactured  articles  in 
return  for  the  raw  materials  which  we  send  them. 

Mr.  Linn  here  referred  to  Daniel  Boon,  the  hardy 
pioneer  first  of  Kentucky,  and  next  of  Missouri,  who, 
impelled  by  his  love  of  danger,  sought  out  a  lonely  spot 
in  the  latter  State  on  the  extreme  border  of  civilization, 
"  squatted  "  on  the  public  land,  and  contributed  to  its 


r 


,  j|i 


'iiij 


[!•   H 


Ifi 


>J 


:ir 


u 


¥im' 


:s' 


:i  : , 


,i:  ;  .i  f . 


Wi 


ti 


jV 


262 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


defence.  Mr.  L.  regretted  that  this  hardy  and  adven- 
turous pioneer  had  not  hved  a  few  years  longer  to  see 
th^c.  broad  Union  extending  itself  from  one  great  ocean 
to  the  other. 

Boon,  Mr.  L.  said,  was  a  living  type,  an  impersona- 
tion, as  it  were,  of  the  spu'it  which  had  settled  this  con- 
tinent. He  rejoiced  to  see  the  same  spirit  in  full  force 
and  operation  to  this  hour.  God  forbid  he  should  ever 
see  it  stopped ;  but  that  could  not  be  done.  The 
whole  force  of  the  government  could  not  arrest  it.  He 
thought  that,  as  Americans,  we  ought  to  feel  proud  as  we 
witnessed  the  onward  march  of  the  Anglo-American 
race  and  its  rapid  progress  for  the  benefit  of  the  human 
family.  He  should  rejoice  to  see  it  scale  the  rugged 
tops  of  the  Rocky  INIountains,  and  pour  itself  into  the 
fertile  valleys  of  the  Oregon  country.  Let  the  race  of 
free  American  pioneers  go  onward  West,  carrying  their 
love  of  liberty  and  all  their  free  and  beneficent  institu- 
tions with  them ;  and  he  would  encourage  their  progress 
by  eveiy  proper  means,  to  the  utmost  verge  of  the  con- 
tinent. 

In  no  one  had  the  hardy  pioneer  of  the  West,  the 
inmate  of  the  lo^  (abi?i,  a  more  true,  reliable,  and  de- 
voted friend  than  in  Dr.  Linn.  For  them  he  seemed 
to  feel  more  than  an  ordinary  interest,  and  never  did  a 
subject  come  up  which  in  any  way  concerned  them  that 
he  did  not  watch  it  with  jealous  care,  and  see  that  their 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LIMN. 


263 


interests  were  duly  provided  for.  Had  they  all  been 
his  own  children  he  coiUd  hardly  have  manifested  greater 
concern  for  them,  and  acted  the  part  of  a  more  watch- 
ful guardian.  And  it  was  this  faithfid  watchfulness  of 
their  interests,  and  his  ever  prompt  and  earnest  advocacy 
of  their  rights,  that  won  for  him  the  devoted  attach- 
ment of  those  stalwart,  brave,  industrious,  unpolished, 
yet  warm-hearted  sons  of  the  wilderness  and  the  prairie, 
who  well  knew  that,  though  tliey  were  far  away  from 
the  Halls  of  Congress,  and  coidd  not  make  their  wants 
and  grievances  known,  there  was  one  there  who  woidd 
never  sit  in  silence  and  see  them  wronged ;  and  hence 
it  was  that  the  people  of  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  relied  on 
Dr.  Linn,  and  considered  him  as  much  their  senator 
as  if  they  had  elected  him,  and  he  was  responsible  to 
them.  But  as  he  was  noi  i-esponsible  to  them  and  they 
could  have  no  voice  in  re-electing  him  to  the  Sen- 
ate, what  could  have  prompted  hiin  thus  to  take  so 
lively  and  active  an  interest  in  their  behalf  ?  It  was, 
first,  a  warm  and  generous  nature,  which  was  amply 
repaid  for  doing  good  by  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  his  duty ;  and  secondly,  the  deep  interest  which 
Dr.  Linn  felt  and  took  in  every  tlnng  which  concerned 
the  great  West,  with  which  he  w^as  and  had  been,  from 
birth  up,  identified.  It  was  his  country,  and  not  only 
his  country,  but  his  particidar  portion  of  it,  his  home, 
and  had  been  the  home  of  his  fathers,  by  whose  blood 


if  m 


:l'^i 


1 


I  i  ■  i' 
i  i   ' 


lll^'r^h 


264 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


it  had  been  won  and  possessed.  The  fathers  of  many 
of  those  who  now  filled  the  West,  had  bravely  fought 
side  by  side  with  his  ancestors,  father  and  grandfather, 
had  been  mutually  roused  by  the  terrible  midnight 
war-whoop  of  the  savage,  had  mutually  and  despe- 
rately defended  their  wives,  children  and  homes,  and 
had  mingled  their  blood  together  on  many  a  desperate 
battle-field,  and  in  many  an  andDush  and  hand-to-hand 
encounter.  The  strong  bonds  of  attachment  which 
arc  formed  in  times  of  mutual  danger,  triid  and  peril, 
— ^liy  mutual  suffering,  and  by  that  interchange  of 
good  offices,  kindnesses  and  sympathies,  which,  while 
it  does  honor  to,  softens,  improves,  and  ennobles  the 
human  heart,  are  the  most  enduring  of  all  human  ties 
except  those  of  love  and  family  affection ;  and  such 
were  the  bonds  that  once  united  the  people  of  the 
West,  as  well  as  those  of  "  the  old  thirteen  States ; " 
and  it  wjis  the  rememl)rance  of  the  past,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  its  history,  which  so  knit  Dr.  L.  to  all  who 
were  identified  Avitli  that  section  of  the  country ;  they 
were  to  him  as  brothers,  not  as  strangei^s  ;  aiul  his  so- 
licitude for  their  Mclfare,  his  watchfulness  of  their  in- 
terests, his  defence  of  their  rights,  his  iiulignant  rcpel- 
hng  of  all  imputations  cast  upon  them,  such  as  "  land 
stealers,"  and  the  like,  were  amply  repaid,  first,  by  the 
consciousness  ot  having  performed  his  duty,  and  sec- 
ondly, by  the  grateful  attachment  manifested  for  him 


■  I'  • 


Hit* 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


265 


by  the  warm-hearted,  though  rough-clad,  and  rough- 
mannered  people  of  the  West,  who  still  mourn  his  loss 
and  cherish  his  memory  in  affectionate  and  grateful 
remembrance;  and  nowhere  more  warmly  than  in 
that  far  off  land  whose  shores  are  washed  ])y  the  waves, 
whose  hills  arc  fanned,  and  whose  golden  fields  are  gen- 
tly swayed  to  and  fro  in  light  and  shade  by  the  refresh- 
ing breezes  from  the  almost  boundless  Pacific. 

'JMie  following  letter  from  the  Hon.  Silas  Wright  to 
Mrs.  Linn,  shows  the  estimation  in  which  Dr.  L.  was 
held  by  his  brother  senators,  at  least  by  those  of  his 
own  party. 


P1H» 


Senate  Chamber,  Washington  City, 
March  :0,  1841. 

My  dear  Mrs.  Linn, — I  have  been  tiyhig  to  find 
time  to  write  you  a  long  letter,  from  the  1st.  of  Jan. 
to  this  time,  and  you  will  say  the  effort  must  have 
been  a  faint  one,  or  the  letter  would  have  reached  you 
before  this  day ;  my  good  Lady,  you  are  to  get  no  let- 
ter now  ;  J.  have  so  much  to  say  to  you  that  if  I  should 
commence  a  letter  many  a  duty  for  which  my  friends 
here  yet  hold  me  to  a  rigid  performance,  would  be 
neglected ;  we  are  now  in  the  minority  here,  and  I 
have  looked  forward  to  that  time  as  one  of  leisure  to 
us  all,  and  we  have  not  found  that  leisure  yet.  I  now 
write  to  you  from  my  seat  in  the  Senate,  and  in  the 


I  \ 


■     !'     il.'S 


1  mM 
ill 


:'  1     I 
\    i.i 


H 


.1 


'1 


266 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


hearing  of  one  of  tlie  most  exciting  debates  to  which 
I  ever  Hstened ;  so  /  must  leave  you  to  the  Doctor  to 
report  all  we  have  done  here,  but  I  cannot  resist 
dropping  you  a  few  lines  to  make  you  a  little  proud 
about  your  good  husband,  whom  you  know  that  I  love 
like  a  brother,  and  I  do  assure  you  that  Dr.  Linn  has 
done  himself  great  honor  in  his  eloquent  and  heart- 
touching  debates  in  the  Senate  during  the  short 
session.  I  am  so  happy  to  find  that  he  has  gained 
confidence  in  himself,  which  has  made  him  become 
one  of  the  most  powerful,  useful,  and  truly  eloquent 
debaters  in  om*  Body.  You  know  that  he  has  been 
working  like  a  slave  in  attending  to  the  private  busi- 
ness of  Missouri,  and  has  long  resisted  the  entreaties 
of  Mr.  Buchanan  and  myself,  with  yoiu*  ardent  wishes, 
to  participate  more  in  the  debates  of  the  Senate  :  not 
in  the  habit  of  public-speaking,  the  Dr.  feared  that  he 
might  not  do  it  well ;  he  must  now  feel  the  great  injus- 
tice that  he  has  done  himself,  and  that  long  since,  had 
it  not  been  for  his  se/isitive  morlesty,  that  he  v/ould 
have  taken  the  stand  thft  he  now  holds  in  the 
Senate,  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  members  of  that 
body,  and  most  certainly  possesses  more  popularity 
than  any  other  member  of  Congress.  You  know,  my 
dear  Mrs.  Linn,  that  I  never  flatter,  and  was  I  not 
fully  aware  of  the  truth  of  all  I  say  about  my  kind 
friend  the  Doctor,  I  would  not  write  it  to  you.     I 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


267 


have  often  wisLed  that  every  Missourian  could  see 
how  your  good  husband  hibors  for  the  prosperity  of 
their  noble  State  ;  then  indeed  would  they  know  how 
to  appreciate  the  wonderful  industry  of  the  hardest- 
working  member  of  Congress. — One  more  word  and, 
my  good  lady,  I  must  finish  this  hasty  comnmnication. 
The  President  sent  us  your  note  to  read  Avitli  the  in- 
junction for  its  preservation,  and  to  be  returned  to 
him ;  so  you  see  how  much  ^'alue  he  attaches  to  it,  anu 
you  must  now  permit  me  to  say  that  you  have  a  very 
happy  talent  in  communicating  yoiu*  friendly  feelings, 
and  at  the  time  your  note  reached  him,  every  evidence 
of  kindly  feeling  from  his  friends  was  most  gratefully 
fell.  He  is  now  a  private  citizen,  and  let  me  say  to 
you,  that  I  truly  thuik  he  has  sustained  his  fall  from 
the  highest  human  elevation  to  that  which  he  now 
holds,  in  a  manner,  and  with  an  equanimity  of  temper 
and  spirit,  which  adds  more  to  his  valuable  reputation 
than  all  the  acts  of  his  previous  life.  But  my  good 
Mrs.  Linn,  you  know  how  much  I  am  his  friend,  and 
if  I  am  now  extravagant  in  his  praise,  you  will  make 
an  allowance,  and  in  every  event  I  beg  you  to  believe 
that 

I  am  equally  your  friend,   ' 

Silas  AVright,  Jr. 

To  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  R.  Linn,  St.  Genevieve. 


(I 


iW 


n 


l!( 


! 


IM 


I   ii 


U 


M   ' 


in. 


V  :' 


268 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


Board  of  Commissioners  on  Private  Cla'^s. 


r? 


MM' 


I     :    I 


HI 


Bills  had  been  introduced  during  several  sessions 
of  Congress  to  establish  a  Board  of  Commissioners  to 
hear  and  examine  claims  against  the  United  States, 
which  had  in  every  instance  received  the  support  of 
Dr.  Linn,  and  in  some  instances  he  had  spoken  in  favor 
of  their  passage.  At  the  last  session  of  the  20t]i  Con- 
gress, a  bill  of  this  kind  having  been  introduced,  and 
come  up  for  a  third  reading,  it  was  earnestly  opposed 
by  Mr.  Calhoun,  Mr.  Mangum  and  other  senators. 
Mr.  Linn  advocated  its  passage ;  he  said  the  bill  had 
passed  at  the  bst  three  or  four  sessions  after  full  dis- 
cussion, besides  being  four  times  reported  upon, — ■ 
twice  by  the  Committee  on  Claims,  and  twice  by  the 
Judiciary  Committee ;  and  he  was  therefore  surprised 
that  the  senator  (Mr.  Calhoun)  should  again  oppose  it, 
as  he  had  done  year  after  year,  without  offering  any 
measure  as  a  substitute. 

Mr.  L.  contended  that  great  injustice  was  now 
done  to  tlic  private  claimant  by  the  present  system, 
than  which  none  could  be  worse  in  its  operation,  and 
until  something  better  should  be  proposed  as  a  remedy 
for  the  evils  now  felt,  he  would  support  the  present  bill. 
He  regretted  that  honorable  senators  had  not  seen  the 
distress  of  the  widows  and  children  of  land  claimants, 
occasioned  by  the  delay  in  the  disposal  of  their  claims ; 


u 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


269 


for  he  was  sure  if  they  had,  they  woukl  give  to  this 
subject  that  disposition  which  would  lead  to  a  speedier 
determination  of  private  claims,  while  a  due  regard 
should  be  paid  both  to  the  rights  of  the  citizen  and 
the  government. 

He  stated  that  there  were  1500  or  2000  private 
bills  of  various  kinds  reported  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives at  the  last  session ;  and  he  himself  reported 
a  bill  six  years  before  which  had  not  yet  been  acted 
on.  He  did  not  impute  neglect  of  duty  to  any  one ; 
but  he  was  satisfied  that,  in  the  first  place,  this  body 
was  too  large  and  too  transient,  and  in  the  second 
place,  too  political  to  despatch  business  of  that  kind  in 
the  prompt  and  speedy  manner  that  it  ought  to  be  dis- 
posed of,  and  to  give  to  all  cases  that  examination  and 
scrutiny  which  are  necessary  to  a  just  understanding 
of  them.  The  questions  involved  in  private  cLiims 
were  sometimes  of  an  abstruse  and  intricate  character, 
and  time  was  necessary  to  acquire  such  a  knowledge 
of  the  facts  and  principles  involved,  as  would  enable 
senators  to  come  to  right  decisions  upon  them.  Some- 
times senators  here  would  acquire  that  knowledge,  but 
circumstances  might  operate  a  postponement  of  the 
action  of  the  Senate  upon  the  claim,  when  the  terms 
of  those  senators  who  had  made  themselves  acquainted 
with  the  case  might  expire,  or,  if  they  held  to  the  doc- 
trine of  instructions,  they  might  be  instructed  out  of 


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270 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


their  seats,  wliicli  would  then  be  occupied  by  new  men, 
who  would  have  to  go  through  anew  the  same  course 
and  labor  of  investigation  that  their  predecessors  had, 
and  so  on  for  years.  He  thought  it  due  to  claimants, 
and  due  to  good  faith,  that  justice  should  neither  be 
refused  nor  unreasonably  delayed.  It  was  cruel  to 
keep  men  attending  here  year  after  year  and  generation 
after  generation,  as  they  attended  the  Com*t  of  Chan- 
cery in  England,  appealing  to  Congress  for  the  pay- 
ment of  what  is  justly  due,  and  made  sick  and  dis- 
heartened by  hope  deferred.  For  his  part,  he  said,  his 
profession,  as  well  as  his  habits  of  thought,  led  him  to 
look  at  and  regard  individual  suffering;  but  there 
were  some  who  appeared  to  act  like  the  soldier  on  the 
field  of  battle,  who  treads  indiscriminately  and  with- 
out a  thought  for  their  suffering,  alike  on  friend  and 
foe,  in  the  pursuit  of  his  object,  or  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty. 

After  further  discussion  in  which  Dr.  L.  earnestly 
endeavored  to  secure  its  passage,  the  bill  was  laid  on 
the  table,  and  of  course  Avas  defeated.  But  though, 
as  in  the  case  of  Oregon,  Dr.  Linn  did  not  live  to  wit- 
ness the  success  of  a  measure  he  so  warmly  advocated 
and  deemed  of  so  nmch  importance  to  individuals  as 
well  as  just  to  the  Government,  yet  the  time  came, 
many  years  after  his  voice  had  been  hushed  in  the 
grave,  when  a  measure  similar  to  the  one  he  advocated, 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


271 


— differing  only  in  being  called  a  "  Court  of  Claims  " 
instead  of  a  "  Board  of  Claims,"  became  a  law,  and  is 
now  in  fidl  operation.  That  the  final  passage  of  a  law 
establishing  the  Couit  of  Claims  was  brouglit  about 
in  some  measure  by  his  advocacy  and  that  of  others 
of  such  a  measure  years  before,  no  one  acquainted  with 
the  habits  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives, and  the  slow  progress  measures  of  a  general 
character  make  in  those  bodies,  can  doubt.  Time  is 
required  for  such  things  to  matm'e ;  and  discussion  is 
as  necessary  to  their  success  as  ploughing,  harrowing, 
&c.,  is  for  the  production  of  a  crop  of  wheat. 

Swamp,  or  Drowned  Lands. 

Among  other  matters  of  public  importance  and 
interesting  to  the  people  of  the  West,  which  occupied 
the  attention  of  Dr.  Linn,  was  that  of  draining  the 
extensive  marshes,  lakes,  lagoons  and  swamps,  to  be 
found  on  the  Mississippi  Hiver  and  some  of  its  tribu- 
taries, caused  by  an  overflow  of  these  streams  in  the 
spring  and  summer  annually.  They  were  fruitful 
sources  of  those  chills  and  fevers,  and  sometimes  of 
malignant  bilious  fevers,  with  which  all  in  their  vicinity 
and  for  many  miles  around  were  annually  visited,  and 
which,  some  seasons,  prove  so  fatal.  As  a  physician 
of  large  experience.  Dr.  L.  knew  the  importance  of 
removing  the  cause  of  these  malignant  diseases  and 


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272 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


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restoring  salubrity  to  the  atmosphere.  With  that 
view,  and  as  he  well  knew  the  government  could  not 
undertake  an  enterprise  of  the  kind,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  subject  and  brought  in  a  bill  by  which 
to  acconijjlish  the  pui-pose  he  had  so  much  at  heart. 
The  following  is  the  bill : 

A  bill  to  surrender  to  the  State,  of  Missouri  and 
Arkansas  alternate  sections  of  certain  public  lands, 
reported  as  not  worth  the  expense  of  survey,  for  the 
purpose  of  increasing  the  value  of  the  public  domain. 

Be  it  enacted,  &c.,  That  there  be,  and  hereby  are, 
granted  to  the  States  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  re- 
spectively, every  alternate  section  of  the  public  land 
situate  within  the  counties  hereafter  stated,  which  have 
been  reported  by  the  deputy-surveyors  to  the  surveyors- 
general,  as  not  worth  the  expense  of  survey,  upon  the 
condition  that  all  the  moneys  arising  from  the  sale  of 
said  lands  be  expended,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Legislatures  of  those  States  respectively,  in  the  improve- 
ment of  the  water  courses  running  through  the  said 
public  lands,  by  the  construction  of  canals  and  bridges, 
removal  of  rafts  and  other  obstructions  to  their  naviga- 
tion, for  the  purpose  of  draining  and  preventing  inun- 
dations of  the  said  lands,  to  wit :  to  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri, each  alternate  section  within  the  counties  of 
Cape  Girardeau,  Scott,  Wayne,  Stoddard,  and  New 
Madrid ;  and  to  the  State  of  Arkansas,  each  alternate 


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LIPE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


273 


section  within  the  comities  of  Mississippi,  Crittenden, 
Saint  Francis,  Poinsett,  Green  and  Randolj)h,  respec- 
tively. 

Mr.  Linn  said  that  this  bill  provided  for  the  ncconi- 
plishnient  of  objects  alike  beneficial  to  the  giver  and 
the  receiver ;  but  the  people  of  the  far  Western  States 
had  on  certain  occasions,  when  the  subject  of  the  pub- 
lic lands  occupied  the  attention  of  this  body,  been 
stigmatized  as  "  land  pirates,"  "  plunderers  of  the  pub- 
lic lands,"  &c. ;  so  that  a  member  fmm  that  section  of 
the  country  always  felt  some  trepidation  in  bringing 
fonvard  any  proposition  relating  to  the  public  domain. 
He  trusted,  however,  that  the  beneficent  purpose  sought 
to  be  accomplished  by  the  measure  he  had  proposed, 
would  commend  the  bUl  to  the  favorable  consideration 
of  honorable  senators  representing  all  sections  of  the 
country. 

The  district  of  country  embraced  within  the  bill 
was,  with  few  exceptions,  a  very  extensive  land  tract  of 
alluvion,  at  times  almost  entirely  overflowed  by  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi  River,  the  main  and  little  St. 
Francis,  and  the  Castor,  (which  run  through  its  whole 
length  nearly  parallel  Avith  the  Mississippi,)  and  also 
Avith  many  smaller  streams  which  fall  into  it  from  the 
neighboring  h\<r\\  grounds,  all  of  which  find  their  way 
to  the  Father  of  Waters  through  VdV.  i,  lagoons,  and 

filthy  quagi  lires.     It   has,   doubtless,  for   ages  been 

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LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


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subject  to  inundation ;  but  this  has  been  more  par- 
ticularly the  case  since  the  earthquakes  of  1811  and 
1812,  the  focus  of  which  seemed  to  be  placed  in  this 
basin,  and  the  vibrations  of  which  radiated  to  the  ex- 
treme verge  of  the  republic. 

The  transforming  eflPects  of  these  mighty  pheno- 
mena were  manifested  in  this  district  by  the  upheav- 
ing of  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi,  staying  the  course  of 
its  waters  for  several  hours  and  causing  them  to  over- 
flow its  banks ;  by  which  broad  and  deep  lakes,  sixty 
miles  in  length,  were  made,  where  stood  the  day  before 
magnificent  forests  of  cypress  and  other  trees;  the 
bottom  of  the  river  St.  Francis  was  thrown  up,  and 
its  waters  scattered  over  a  wide  space ;  and  dry  ground 
was  formed  where  swamps  and  lakes  existed  before ; 
extensive  areas,  sunk  below  the  general  level,  were 
subsequently  filled  with  water;  craters  were  opened, 
from  which  were  vomited  mud,  sand,  and  coal,  and 
many  other  effects  were  produced,  to  detail  which  is 
not  now  necessary. 

The  lakes  and  marshes  are  all  connected  with  each 
other  and  with  the  St.  Francis,  by  sinuses  or  bayous, 
receiving  its  overflowing  waters  and  those  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  which  annually  inundate  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  acres,  equalling  in  fertility  any  soil  in 
the  world. 

The  St.  Francis  and  its  tributaries,  which  course 


LIFE   OF   DR.  LINN. 


275 


this  tract,  are  choked  up  with  rafts  like  those  on  the 
Red  River,  with  fallen  timber,  drift  wood,  and  other 
obstructions.  Such  is  also  the  case  with  the  bayous 
which  connect  the  St.  Francis  with  the  marshes  and 
lakes,  ard  the  lakes  with  each  other.  By  removing 
these  rafts  in  the  St.  Francis  River,  and  the  drift  wood 
and  fallen  timber  in  the  bayous,  and  by  deepening  the 
connexions  between  the  lakes,  which  would  serve  as  so 
many  canals — the  principal  feeder  of  which  would  be 
the  St.  Francis — ^much  standing  water  would  be  liber- 
ated, and  a  continuous  stream  would  then  flow  on 
through  all  these  different  inosculating  branches  to  the 
Mississippi  and  thereby  reclaim  large  portions  of  this 
rich  territory,  in  a  few  years  to  be  covered  with  a  dense 
popidation,  where  now  there  is  nothing  but  a  melan- 
choly waste,  inhabited  by  savage  beasts  and  venomous 
reptiles,  and  infecting  the  neighboring  counties  by  its 
noisome  exhalations. 

In  its  present  condition  your  surveyors  have  turned 
from  portions  of  it  in  utter  despair,  as  uninviting,  un- 
healthful,  and  useless.  Although  it  has  been  the  the- 
atre of  tiie  grandest  and  most  destructive  operations  of 
nature,  and  is  seamed  all  over  with  marks  of  Divine 
wrath,  it  is  still  blessed  with  a  inilfl  climate  and  great 
fertility  of  soil,  and  is  of  easy  access  to  the  ocean ;  and 
with  the  transforming  effects  of  man's  industry,  will, 
like  Holland,  become  a  busy  scene  of  prosperity  and 


m 


276 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


I  >■  'II 


happiness,  and,  perhaps,  equally  as  remarkable  for  its 
rivers  and  canals. 

Will  Congress  have  the  enliylitened  selfishness  to 
grant  the  aid  necessary  to  render  its  own  property  of 
some  value  ?  The  whole  of  this  tract,  however,  is  not 
affected  by  the  periodical  inundations,  Thei-e  are 
ridges  of  forty  or  fifty  miles  in  length,  above  the  reach 
of  the  water  at  its  greatest  height;  there  are  also 
islands  of  rock,  of  various  heights  and  dimensions, 
rising  out  of  this  marsh,  like  islands  in  the  ocean ;  but 
so  surrounded  by  water  as  to  be  cut  ofi  from  all  commu- 
nication with  each  other  and  with  the  Mississippi, 
except  in  boats  which  must  be  navigated  through 
dense  forests  and  tangled  jungles ;  in  consequence  of 
which  these  bodies  of  fertile  lands  are  almost  tenant- 
less. 

The  opening  of  all  the  different  sluices  to  give 
vent  to  the  accumulating  waters,  cutting  canals,  build- 
ing bridges,  throwing  up  dykes,  draining  marshes,  &c., 
would  eventually  reclaim  the  whole  or  nearly  the  whole 
and  fit  it  for  the  abode  of  our  people  whose  energies 
bid  defiance  to  every  thing  but  impossibilities. 

The  objects  contemplated  by  the  bill  are  of  great 
importance  to  the  citizens  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas. 
The  Legislatures  of  both  States  have  sent  memorials 
here  upon  the  subject;  and  the  question  again  pre- 
sents itself :  Shall  all  this  vjoxk  necessary  to  make  the 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


277 


tract  useful,  be  thrown  upon  the  people  living  in  that 
section,  who  feel  a  deep  interest  in  the  undertaking? 
or,  will  the  Government  extend  its  aid  by  contributing 
a  portion  of  this  (at  present)  unproductive  domain 
towards  this  object  ?  It  might  with  much  reason  be 
lu-ged  that  the  entne  tract  had  better  be  granted  to  the 
States  in  which  it  lies,  than  that  it  should  remain  in  its 
present  deplorable  condition.  But  it  will  be  perceived 
that  a  grant  only  of  each  alternate  section  is  asked  for ; 
and  shoidd  the  grant  be  refused,  there  is  little  proba- 
bility that,  for  a  century  to  come,  the  Government  will 
make  any  effort  to  reclaim  this  land.  Will  it,  then, 
be  so  imgenerous  as  to  throw  upon  individuals  a  labor 
which  it  should  undertake  itself? 

This  great  alluvion  stretches  from  Cape  Girardeau 
in  Missouri,  to  Helena  in  Arkansas — a  distance  of 
three  himdred  and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  from  thirty 
to  fifty  in  breadth  ;  and  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow 
belt  lying  along  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
certain  isolated  spots  scattered  throughout,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  worse  than  useless — ^nay,  a  positive  nuisance. 

Mr.  Linn  said,  that  the  inhabitants  of  Southern 
Missouri  had  for  years  been  looking  anxiously  for  the 
Government  to  take  some  steps  to  clear  the  St.  Francis, 
Big,  Black  and  Current  Rivers,  of  the  obstructions  in 
the  way  of  successful  navigation.  He  had  brought  the 
subject  repeatedly  before  Congress,  and,  in  1836,  an 


I 


278 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


appropriation  was  made  for  the  examination  of  these 
streams.  An  officer,  Captain  Guion,  had  made  a  hasty 
survey  late  in  the  autmnn  and  had  made  a  report,  which 
Mr.  L.  now  caused  to  be  read ;  and  haviug  been  read, 
Mr.  L.  proceeded : 

The  engineer  examined  the  river  St.  Francis,  and 
the  country  through  which  it  passes,  at  a  very  unpro- 
pitious  season,  and  the  report  is  to  be  taken  with  many 
grains  of  allowance,  especially,  when  speaking  of  the 
impracticability  of  making  certain  portions  of  the  St. 
Francis  navigable. 

But  even  admitting  that  the  difficulties  in  removing 
obstacles  and  giving  to  the  St.  Francis  a  permanent 
channel  in  certain  points  were  insurmountable,  still, 
much  could  be  done  to  improve  the  water  communica- 
tion. Black  River  is  a  large  and  deep  tributary  of 
White  River,  and  navigable  to  the  only  "raft "  in  it  at 
all  seasons  of  the  year.  Remove  this  one  obstacle  and 
boats  could  ascend  it  and  its  principal  tributary  (the 
Current)  to  the  copper  mines  in  Missouri,  at  all  seasons 
with  small  boats. 

But,  sir,  the  beneficial  effects  of  removing  the 
"  rafts  "  in  the  St.  Francis  and  Big  Black  Rivers,  and 
the  redeeming  from  periodical  inundation  such  an  ex- 
tensive surface  of  rich  alluvion,  do  not  stop  here.  By 
removing  the  obstructions  in  the  way  to  the  navigation 
of  the  St.  Francis  and  Black  Rivers,  you  will  be  en- 


*? 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


279 


abled  to  reach  by  water,  the  very  centre  of  the  great 
mineral  region  of  Missouri,  which  is  drained  by  these 
rivers  and  their  tributaries,  and  which  is  of  unparalleled 
richness  in  copper,  zinc,  iron,  lead,  manganese,  and 
many  other  mineral  substances,  and  thereby  add  greatly 
to  the  value  of  the  public  lands.  Will  not  Congress, 
then,  act  the  part,  in  this  matter,  of  a  liberal  and  pro- 
vident landlord,  and  embrace  this  opportunity  and  the 
proposed  means  to  improve  its  own  domain  ?  " 

Mr.  Sevier  expressed  his  satisfaction  that  his  friend 
from  Missouri  had  interested  himself  in  this  important 
subject.  He  could  say,  from  personal  knowledge,  that 
the  views  he  had  presented  were  entirely  correct ;  and 
that  the  tract  of  country  proposed  to  be  granted,  in 
part,  was,  in  its  present  condition,  wholly  unavailable 
to  the  Government. 

The  bill  was  then  referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Public  Lands,  but  no  further  action  appears  to  have  been 
taken  upon  it  during  the  session.  But  a  bill  was  a  few 
years  after  brought  in  and  passed,  by  which  the  United 
States  surrendered  all  the  swamp,  or  inundated  lands, 
to  the  States  in  which  they  were  situated  respectively, 
a  measure  which  has  resulted  in  the  reclamation  and 
draining  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  land 
which  was  utterly  valueless  to  the  Government,  and  a 
positive  nuisance  to  large  tracts  of  country  around,  on 
account  of  the  malaria  which  arose  from  its  putrid 


I 


280 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


l-.> 


'*!!«'*' 


marshes  and  lagoons,  and  spread  itself  for  miles  around, 
carrying  the  seeds  of  disease  and  death  wherever  it 
lighted.  The  measure  was  also  intended  to  enable  the 
States  bordering  on  the  Mississippi  River,  to  erect  dikes 
along  its  banks  to  prevent  the  annual  overflow  which 
inundates  so  large  a  tract  of  country,  and  sometimes 
does  great  damage  by  forming  new  channels  for  the 
river.  Few  measures  have  been  productive  of  more 
real  benefits  to  those  sections  of  the  country  imme- 
diately interested  than  this ;  and  had  Dr.  Linn  lived, 
he  would  have  effected  it  instead  of  leaving  its  accom- 
plishment to  others  ;  but  having  initiated  it,  and  pointed 
out  the  way  and  the  great  importance  of  the  measure, 
it  may,  without  injustice  to  those  who  followed  him, 
be  claimed  as  his  own.  True,  others  might  have 
thought  of  it  and  brought  it  forward ;  and  so  might 
some  other  person  than  Professor  Morse,  have  been,  in 
time,  the  author  of  the  Magnetic  Telegraph ;  but  no 
other  did  till  he  led  the  way ;  it  was  then,  after  his 
death,  easy  to  follow,  and  take  up  what  he  had  left  im- 
completed. 


In  conunon  with  the  party  to  which,  he  belonged. 
Dr.  Linn  was  strongly  opposed  to  what  was  denomi- 
nated "  the  Distribution  Act,"  which  provided  for  the 
distribution  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  Public 
Lands,  and  which  was  a  w/ti^  measure.     Dr.  L.  thought 


[<»,i 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


281 


that  these  proceeds,  so  far  as  they  were  not  needed  to 
defray  the  expenses,  or  to  pay  the  debts  of  the  General 
Government,  should  be  applied  to  strengthen  the 
common  defence  of  the  country ;  and  he  therefore  in- 
troduced a  bill  in  December,  1841,  to  repeal  the  dis- 
tribution sections  of  the  act  mentioned,  and  pledging 
those  proceeds  to  purposes  of  national  defence. 

Mr.  L.  expressed  his  views  in  regard  to  the  Dis- 
tribution Act,  to  which  he  was  opposed :  he  thought  it 
an  indirect  mode  of  assuming  the  State  debts.  It  was 
known  that  this  country  had  an  immense  extent  of  sea 
coast  and  territorial  border,  stretching  from  the  At- 
lantic to  the  Pacific,  to  protect,  requiring  a  large  ex- 
penditure ;  and  it  was  not  to"  be  denied  that  its  foreign 
relations  were  in  a  precarious  situation ;  that  at  a 
moment's  warning  a  war  might  be  precipitated  upon 
us ;  yet  they  had  frittered  away  the  means  of  national 
defence,  and  now  hesitated  to  retrace  their  steps,  when 
prudence,  policy  and  duty,  demanded  the  retraction. 
It  was  said,  that  when  the  crisis  shoidd  come,  the  States 
would  be  ready  to  supply  the  General  Government  with 
the  means  of  defence ;  but  he  thought  it  was  the  better 
policy  for  the  Government  to  prepare  itself  for  any 
crisis  of  this  kind,  so  that  it  need  not  be  dependent 
upon  the  States  when  it  came. 

Mr.  L.  had  suggested  that  the  bill  be  referred  to 
the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  as  the  Committee 


5 


h'4 


s* 


!1 


•i 


i$ 


If 


^■ 


l! 


ai:-: 


282 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


on  Public  Lands  were  opposed  to  it  and  already  com- 
mitted against  it. 

Mr.  Calhoun  was  in  favor  of  referring  it  to  a 
special  committee. 

Mr.  Pierce  rose  to  express  his  gratification,  that 
thus  early  in  the  session  something  had  been  proposed 
in  behalf  of  national  defences,  a  matter  so  long  neglected, 
while  every  section  of  the  Union  had  been  agitated  and 
embroiled  with  contests  for  party  supremacy.  The 
proposition  of  his  friend  from  Missouri  (Mr.  Linn) 
gave  earnest  of  patriotic,  and  at  the  same  time,  of 
prudent  and  judicious  action  upon  one  of  the  most 
important  questions  that  could  possibly  claim  the 
attention  of  the  republic.  Whether  the  means  of 
defence  were  to  be  derived  from  the  public  lands  or 
from  any  other  source,  it  was  a  clear  case  that  the 
country  could  not  be  left  longer  in  its  present  condi- 
tion. It  had  no  adequate  preparation  from  one  ex- 
tremity of  the  seaboard  to  the  other,  to  defend  itself 
against  aggression.  And  let  it  be  remembered,  that 
aggression,  if  resolved  upon  at  this  day,  with  the  appli- 
cation of  steam  to  ocean  navigation,  and  the  improve- 
ments in  military  science,  must,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  be  sudden  and  tremendous.     ***** 

No  gentleman  could  doubt  that,  in  our  present 
defenceless  state,  the  only  power  from  which  at  present 
we  had  any  thing  to  apprehend,  might  and  probably 


LIFE   OF  DR.    LINN. 


283 


would  destroy,  laying  aside  all  considerations  of  the 
loss  of  life  and  incalculable  amount  of  human  suffer- 
ing, more  property  in  a  single  night — in  a  single  city 
— than  would  be  required  to  place  ourselves  in  a  con- 
dition of  comparative  protection  and  security.  It  had 
been  said  by  gentlemen  distinguished  in  the  naval  as 
well  as  land  service,  that  we  were  not  at  this  moment 
relatively  better  prepared  for  a  conflict  with  Great 
Britain  than  we  were  at  the  commencement  of  the 
late  war,  thirty  years  ago.  The  nation  felt  this  to  be 
a  hazardous  and  shameful  condition,  in  which  it  ought 
not  to  be  permitted  to  remain.  The  most  appropriate 
disposition  of  the  bill,  it  struck  him,  was  that  indi- 
cated by  the  Senator  from  South  Carohna  (Mr.  Cal- 
houn).    Let  it  go  to  a  select  committee. 

Further  debate  ensued  upon  the  subject  of  distri- 
bution and  the  propriety  of  referring  the  bill  to  a  select 
or  a  standing  committee,  or  to  the  Committee  of  the 
Whole.  Upon  the  vote  being  taken,  the  Senate  refused 
to  refer  the  bill,  but  made  it  the  order  of  the  day  for 
some  few  days  ahead.  As  it  provided  for  the  repeal 
of  the  Distribution  Act,  and  a  majority  of  the  Senate 
at  that  time  were  in  favor  of,  as  they  had  a  few  months 
before  passed,  that  act,  it  met  with  decided  opposition, 
and  consequently  failed.  But  Dr.  L.  had,  nevertheless, 
performed  what  he  deemed  his  duty  to  his  constituents 
and  to  the  country,  and  might  console  himself  Avith  the 


^\\ 


1 


>  '.■ 


284 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


i>\ 


n.! 


reflection  thnt  it  was  not  in  tlie  power  of  mortals 
always  to  command  succesi^},  even  when  most  merited. 
But  public  men  are  often  doomed  to  witness  tlie  fail- 
ure of  measures  tliey  deem  eminently  useful  and  im- 
portant to  the  country,  sometimes  because  others  do  not 
take  the  same  view  of  them  that  they  do,  a).d  some- 
times because  proposed  by  one  who  belongs  to  a  party 
in  the  minority,  and  the  majority  are  unwilling  to  allow 
an  opponent  the  credit  of  a  good  measure  even  though  the 
country  may  be  benefited  thereby.  Nothing  is  more 
connnon  than  this,  however  contrary  to  the  theory  of 
a  republican  government,  which  is  based  upon  the  sup- 
position that  every  citizen,  whether  in  a  public  or  pri- 
vate station,  will  have  the  true  interests  of  the  repub- 
lic at  heart,  and  honestly  advocate  and  support  Avhat- 
ever  is  calculated  to  promote  the  general  good  and 
prosperity  of  the  whole  nation,  no  matter  by  whom 
suggested  or  originated.  In  practice,  however,  one 
party  advocates,  while  another  opposes  measures,  sim- 
ply because  they  are  "  party  measures ;  "  because  the 
party  proposing  is  to  have  the  credit  of  whatever  good 
they  may  be  productive  of,  and  may  thereby  gain 
strength  with  the  country.  I  do  not  intend  to  affirm 
that  this  is  always,  and  with  all  public  men,  the  mle  of 
action ;  but  I  am  reluctantly  compelled  to  say,  that 
the  prosperity  and  success  of  the  party  to  which  public 
men  attach  themselves,  to  which  they  owe  their  officipl 


■4  1 


LIFE   OF   DR.   LINN. 


285 


positions,  and  look  for  a  continuance  of  favor,  is  too  often 
quite  as  near  their  hearts  and  exerts  as  great  an  influ- 
ence upon  their  actions,  as  the  prosperity  and  best 
interests  of  the  country.  "  The  heart  is  deceitful  above 
all  things,"  and  never  more  so  than  in  the  breast  of  a 
politician  who  has  long  sought  to  attain,  has  attained, 
and  is  ambitious  to  retain,  a  station  of  honor,  profit  or 
trust,  which  gives  hhn  emii.encc,  influence  and  con- 
sideration in  the  nation  or  with  those  among  whom  he 
resides.  There  naturally  arises,  also,  an  attachment  on 
the  part  of  the  individual  to  the  party  to  which  he 
belongs,  and  with  which  he  acts;  its  prosperity  or 
adversity,  success  or  defeat,  weal  or  woe,  ai-e  his ;  he 
exults  when  it  triumphs,  is  cast  down  when  it  is  pros- 
trated, and  becomes  so  identified  with  it  that  whatever 
its  fate,  that  fate  is  his.  No  wonder,  then,  that  it  should 
sometimes,  and,  indeed,  not  un  frequently,  usurp  the 
place  of  country,  and  its  opponents  be  looked  upon 
almost  in  the  light  of  public  enemies,  and  treated  as  if 
they  were  at  least  domestic  foes. 

Dr.  Linn  was  a  very  decided  party  man ;  he  be- 
lieved the  measures  and  principles  of  the  party  to  which 
he  belonged  to  be  such  as  were  calculated  to  promote 
the  general  good,  and  he  therefore  advocated  them  with 
the  zeal  and  ardency  which  belonged  to  a  warm  heart, 
honest  impulses  and  strong  feelings.  He  was  devotedly 
attached  to  General  Jackson  personally,  and  supported 


M 


286 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


■  h- 


his  iiicasiires  with  nn  ardor  due  to  the  honest  convic- 
tions of  his  judgment  and  the  warmth  of  liis  personal 
friendship  for  the  man.  But  while  he  did  so,  such  was 
the  kindliness  and  sincerity  of  his  nature,  sucli  tlie 
urbanity  of  his  demeanor,  such  the  generosity  and 
nobleness  of  his  disposition,  and  the  ever  pleasant  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance,  that  though  his  language 
in  debate  sometimes  savored  of  a  tartness  foreign  to  his 
heart,  his  opponents  ever  gave  him  cnulit  for  the 
strictest  honor,  honesty,  sincerity  and  manliness,  and 
as  a  man  held  him  in  high  esteem. 


lK\i-    '•   ■'" 


ARMED  OCCUPATION    OP    FLORIDA. 

In  18  43,  the  Florida  war  being  considered  at  an  end, 
and  yet  the  few  Indians  remaining  in  that  territory 
contiiuiing  to  commit  depredations  and  murders  upon 
the  inhabitants  sparsely  settled  along  the  frontiers,  who 
were  too  few  and  far  between  to  render  each  other  much 
protection,  if  any,  indeed,  against  the  sudden  inciu*- 
sions  of  the  savages,  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  adopt 
some  measure  that  would  tempt  young,  hardy,  bold  and 
athletic  men  to  take  up  their  abode  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Indians  and  defend  the  country  against  their  depre- 
dations. The  great  object  was  to  push  forward  the 
white  settlements  into  the  unsettled  parts  of  the  terri- 
tory, and  thus  to  gradually  crowd  out  the  Indians, 
while  a  hardy  body  of  pioneera  were  located  along  the 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


287 


line  of  advancing  settlements  wlio  could  cope  with  the 
savages,  even  in  their  own  peculiar  mode  of  warfare. 

With  that  view,  Mr.  Benton  from  the  Committee  on 
Militaiy  Affairs,  introduced  a  bill  giving  lands  to  such 
as  would  settle  upon  them  in  that  section  of  I'lorida. 
Mr.  B.  said  the  prin(;iplc  of  the  bill  had  several  times 
received  the  sanction  of  the  Senate ;  similar  bills  having 
been  several  times  passed  by  that  body  within  the  last 
three  years.  It  was  now  reconunended  by  the  Presi- 
dent and  Secretary  of  War ;  and  with  the  moi'c  reason 
as  the  number  of  Indians  in  the  Peninsxda  of  Florida 
was  greatly  reduced,  and  the  troops  partly  Avithdrawn. 
There  were  not  Indians  enough  in  the  territory  to  justify 
military  operations.  But  there  were  too  many  to  justify 
settlements  by  cultivators  and  othei*s,  until  inducements 
were  held  out  to  them  sufficient  to  justify  i>eople  in- 
ciuring  the  risks  and  the  privations  incident  to  such 
settlement.  The  bill,  he  said,  proposed  these  induce- 
ments ;  namely,  a  (juarter  section  of  land,  subsistence 
for  one  year,  [this  was  afterwards  stricken  out  by  the 
House,]  and  arms  and  anununition  for  such  as  should  need 
them.  Mr.  B.  said  the  necessity  for  the  bill  was  be- 
coming more  and  more  lu'gent  l)y  the  massacres  that 
were  now  taking  place  in  that  part  of  Florida. 

The  bill  having  passed  the  Senate  and  (!ome  back 
from  the  House  amended,  was  again  opposed  in  the 
Senate,  and  to  some  of  those  who  spoke  against  it  Mr. 


I    ! 


n.ii 


288 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


■c  :  :i  ■ 


mirt 


Linn  replied.  He  contended  that  the  Government  had 
acted  heretofore  upon  the  principle  of  making  donations 
of  land  as  an  inducement  to  settlement.  It  was  that 
poUcy  which  had  contributed  to  secure  the  rapid  settle- 
ment and  sale  of  the  public  domain.  It  was  a  policy 
which  had  caused  no  actual  loss  to  the  Government. 
Mr.  L.  said  he  had  incorporated  that  very  principle  in 
his  Oregon  bill;  and  he  sincerely  hoped  senators 
would  not  oppose  it  on  that  ground.  He  trusted  that 
the  past  policy  of  the  Government  would  not  be  disre- 
garded. After  speaking  of  the  effectiveness  of  the 
bill  as  it  passed  the  Senate,  and  the  amendments  by 
the  House,  he  alluded  to  the  policy  the  Government 
had  pursued,  of  granting  bounty  land  to  the  soldiers 
who  defended  the  country  during  the  last  war.  This 
was  the  same  in  principle.  The  settlers  would  go  there 
under  the  inducement  held  out  by  the  bill — a  bounty 
in  land — and  fight  for  the  soil,  and  save  the  blood  of 
regiUar  military  forces,  which  had  been  withdrawn  from 
the  contest  at  present.  Those  men  would  fight  for 
their  land,  and  love  it  the  more  because  they  had  to 
fight  for  it.  After  giving  a  graphic  description  of  the 
character,  energy,  and  boldness  of  the  men  who  would 
be  induced  to  go  into  Florida  under  this  bill,  Mr.  L. 
showed  that  they  would  make  a  most  effective  force  to 
grapple  with  the  Indian,  knife  in  hand,  and  drive  him 
from  his  fastnesses.     He  argued  that  the  Government 


•   ! 


|-r:i 


m 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


289 


would  have  to  do  either  one  thing  or  the  other — to 
hold  out  an  inducement  for  necessitous,  enterprising, 
and  bold  men  to  go  to  Florida,  and  save  the  defence- 
less women  and  children  from  the  cruelties  of  the  sav- 
age, or  speedily  enlist  another  body  of  men  and  give 
them  this  very  bounty,  and  pay  them  from  the  treasury 
a  heavy  sum  of  money,  to  fight  until  the  last  Indian 
was  driven  from  the  territory.  It  was  folly  to  suppose 
that  an  enemy  as  scattered  as  these  Indians  were,  with 
small  parties  here  and  there,  and  every  where,  could 
be  operated  against  by  a  regular  military  force.  You 
could  never  dislodge  them  until  you  shall  select  a  body 
of  men  that  will  follow  them  in  their  hammocks,  seek 
out  and  discover  their  lurking  places,  beat  up  their 
quarters,  dog  them  from  one  fastness  to  another,  until 
they  found  there  was  to  be  no  peace  nor  rest  for 
them,  and  no  security  for  them  but  in  coming  in 
and  giving  themselves  up.  Scattered  as  the  Indians 
now  were,  it  would  keep  10,000  regular  men  opera- 
ting at  all  points,  to  be  of  any  service.  Mr.  L.  dwelt 
on  the  mode  of  Indian  warfare,  showing  that  they 
could  keep  in  active  operation  a  very  much  larger 
number  of  men  than  they  counted  themselves,  as  it 
was  Lheir  custom  to  strike  a  serious  unexpected  blow, 
and  then  suddenly  disappear,  striking  perhaps  another 
unlooked  for  blow  in  a  few  hours  after,  at  a  point  quite 

distant  from  the  first,  and  then,  in  the  midst  of  these 
19 


290 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


ff 


interminable  fastnesses,  whose  labyrinths  none  could 
thread  but  themselves,  elude  pursuit,  and  laugh  at  their 
pursuers.  But  surround  them  with  a  cordon  of  hardy, 
fearless,  advancing  settlers,  or  let  the  column  gradually 
advance  upon  them  only  from  one  direction,  clearing  up 
the  country  as  it  rolls  onward,  and  the  Indians  would 
soon  find  they  must  surrender,  or  seek  other  quarters. 

Mr.  Woodbridge  of  Michigan,  said,  so  far  as  the 
bill  contemplated  a  donation  of  land  as  an  inducement 
for  the  settlement  of  Florida,  it  met  his  hearty  concur- 
rence ;  and  it  established  no  new  principle  in  that  re- 
spect. On  a  similar  principle,  100,000  acres  of  land 
were  given  to  secure  a  settlement  at  the  junction  of  the 
Ohio,  as  early  as  1787  or  '88 — the  Government  then 
having  to  contend  with  just  as  savage  an  enemy  as  the 
Indians  of  Florida. 

As  Mr.  Linn  was  much  interested  in  the  settlement 
of  Florida, — and  we  have  already  seen  how  active  he 
had  been  to  introduce  the  culture  of  new  plants  in  that 
region,  and  thereby  encourage  the  settlement  and  in- 
crease the  productions  of  the  territory, — and  as  he 
was  also  desirous  that  Congress  should  approve  the 
principle  of  encouraging  settlements  by  donations  of 
land  to  settlers, — a  principle  embraced  in  his  Oregon 
bill, — ^he  was  much  gratified  by  the  Armed  Occupation 
bill  becoming  a  law,  having  passed  the  Senate  by  a 
vote  of  24  to  16. 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


291 


Although  the  measure  has  not  been  productive  of 
all  the  beneficial  effects  anticipated  by  its  friends,  it 
was  not  without  some  good  results.  Even  to  get  the 
land  settled,  without  deriving  any  income  or  remunera- 
tion from  it,  is  a  much  greater  benefit  to  the  country 
than  any  price  in  money  that  could  be  obtained  for  the 
land  if  sold,  had  the  Government  obtained  four  or  ten 
times  its  real  value ;  for, 


"  \Miat  constitutes  a  State  ? 
Not  high  raised  battlement  or  labored  mound, 

Thick  wall  or  moated  gate  : 
Not  cities  fair,  with  spires  and  turrets  crown'd ; 
No : — men,  high-minded  men — 

Men  who  their  duties  know, 
Knowing  too  their  rights,  and,  knowing,  dare  maintain." 

Those  lands  were  not  such  as  emigrants  would 
voluntarily  settle  upon  and  pay  for,  or  accept  as  a 
donation,  upon  condition  of  placing  their  families  upon 
them  in  their  natural,  unhealthy  condition ;  they  had 
first  to  be  drained,  or  the  overflowing  waters  diked 
out,  and  when  this  was  done,  when,  as  "  in  the  begin- 
ning," the  land  and  the  waters  were  separated,  and 
"  the  dry  land  "  was  made  to  appear ;  "  and  the  earth 
brought  forth  grass  and  herb,  yielding  seed  after  his 
kind,  and  the  tree  yielding  fruit,  whose  seed  was  in  itself, 
after  his  kind,"  then  those  drowned  lands  become  valu- 


i;t:|lf 


292 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


able,  being  very  rich  and  productive,  and  tempting  to  the 
husbandman.  Many  of  these  swamps,  lakes  and  la- 
goons, the  habitations  of  alligators,  snapping  turtles, 
copper-headed,  moccasin,  and  other  poison  snakes  and 
reptiles,  have  been  drained  and  turned  into  fruitful 
fields,  as  Dr.  Linn  predicted  they  would,  and  others 
will,  in  time,  undergo  this  desirable  metamorphosis. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI  AND 
THE   OHIO    RIVERS. 


Wliile  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  Rivers,  and 
their  tributaries,  were  the  great  highway's  upon  which 
the  commerce  of  the  immense  and  fruitful  counti*}' 
which  they  drained,  was  compelled  to  travel, — by 
which  alone  its  exports  could  reach  a  market,  and  its 
imports  be  received,  as  was  the  case  for  many  years, 
and  until  railroads  in  some  measure  supplanted  these 
great  natural  highways, — the  immense  losses  winch 
occurred  in  consequence  of  the  existence  of  numerous 
snags  and  sawyers  in  those  rivers,  and  the  great 
delays  which  took  place  in  the  season  of  low  water  in 
consequence  of  the  "  sand-bars  "  which  then  obstructed 
the  navigation,  were  felt  as  a  most  serious  evil  by  the 
people  of  the  West,  and  the  attention  of  Congress  was 
again  and  again  called  to  the  subject,  and  its  aid  and  the 
agency  of  the  General  Government  invoked  to  render 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


293 


the  necessary  reUef,  by  clearing  out  these  snags  and 
sawyers,  and  deepening  the  channel  over,  or  by  some 
means  removing,  these  "  sand-bars."  Appropriations 
were  made  from  time  to  time  by  Congress  for  this 
purpose ;  but  as  there  was  a  class  of  men,  of  politicians 
or  statesmen,  in  Congress,  and  sometimes  occupying 
the  Presidential  chair,  who  denied  that  Congress  had 
the  constitutional  power  to  appropriate  the  public 
moneys  for  purposes  of  this  kind,  those  appropriations 
were  always  strenuously,  and  sometimes  successfully 
opposed,  and  the  objects  intended  to  be  accomplished 
were  never  more  than  half  accomplished,  and  then  left 
in  such  a  manner,  that  what  had  been  done  might  as 
well  not  have  been  done ;  the  money  expended  was  but 
thrown  away,  and  this  fact  served  as  an  argument  sub- 
sequently, against  making  fiuiher  appropriations  for 
the  same  or  similar  purposes. 

On  the  17th  of  January,  1843,  Mr.  Linn  rose  in 
the  Senate  and  stated,  that  he  had  been  requested  to 
present  to  that  body  a  memorial  from  the  city  of  St. 
Louis,  signed  by  nearly  fifteen  hundred  of  its  most 
intelligent  and  useful  business  men.  He  knew  many 
of  the  gentlemen  who  had  put  their  names  to  this  me- 
morial; and  he  could  assure  the  Senate,  that  the 
utmost  confidence  was  due  to  any  statement  they 
endorsed.  The  prayer  of  the  memorial  is,  that  Con- 
gress may  make  an  appropriation  for  improving  the 


i*  I 


m 


y! 


^ifj 


a  ■       y  I'll 


vn 


V 


I  '• 


s    ■ 
•i   >' 


M.-- 


mm' 


4*' 


t ', 


M 

ii 


294 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


navigation  of  the  great  western  rivers.  The  memorial- 
ists state  that,  especially  in  the  Missouri  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivera,  within  the  last  four  years,  the  accumula- 
tion of  snags  has  been  so  great  as  to  render  navigation 
not  only  dangerous  in  the  extreme  to  commerce,  but 
hazardous,  in  consequence  of  the  great  number  of  lives 
lost  among  the  passengers.  They  further  state,  said 
Mr.  L.,  that,  in  the  year  1839,  there  were  forty  steam- 
boats lost ;  in  1840,  there  were  forty-one ;  twenty-nine 
in  1841,  and  in  1842,  twenty -eight.  The  value  of  the 
boats  would  average  $25,000  each,  making  a  total  loss 
of  $3,000,000.  But  this  is  not  all :  they  fm-ther  state, 
that  almost  every  boat  engaged  in  the  Missouri  trade 
has  been  injured,  more  or  less,  by  snags,  the  repairs 
of  which  cost  about  $260  each,  which  makes  a  total 
loss  of  $3,710,000,  in  the  course  of  four  years. 

Between  the  11th  September,  and  the  13th  of 
October,  in  the  past  year,  the  following  boats  were  lost 
between  the  city  of  St.  Louis  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio ;  to  wit : 

Sept.  11.  Mentor,  boat  and  part  of  the  cargo,  loss        .  $34,000 
"     13.  New  Orleans,  sunk  within  100  yards  of  the 

Mentor,  loss 45,000 

"     22.  Pre-emption,  near  the  same  place  .        .         .  25,000 

"      "    Robert  T.  Lytic,  near  the  same  place     .         .  7,000 

"     26.  Fort  Pitt,  within  ^  of  a  mile  of  the  same  place  25,000 

Oct.    6.  Louisville 8,000 

«      7.  Osage  Valley, 40,000 

"    13.  Eliza — sunk — 40  or  50  persons  drowned,  loss  50,000 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


295 


These  losses,  amounting  to  $234,000,  occurred  in  less 
than  five  weeks. 

Mr.  Linn  continued.  They  further  say,  that  the 
most  formidable  obstmctions  in  the  Western  rivers 
are  at  St.  Louis,  or  near  that  place ;  but  they  neverthe- 
less sympathize  with  their  fellow-citizens  throughout 
the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  feel  called  on  to 
co-operate  with  these,  in  urging  this  honorable  body  to 
do  justice  to  the  West,  by  making  ample  appropria- 
tions for  the  immediate  improvement  of  our  rivers, — 
the  Missouri,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Mississippi.  They  observe  that  they  can  safely  say 
that  the  commerce  on  those  rivers  and  their  tributaries, 
forming  twenty  thousand  miles  of  interior  navigation, 
cannot  amount  to  less  at  the  present  time,  than  two 
hundred  millions  a  year.  The  removal  of  snags,  the 
clearing  of  logs  from  the  banks  caved  in,  and  the 
improvement  of  the  harbor  of  St.  Louis,  (all  com- 
menced several  years  ago,)  cannot  be  completed  unless 
by  the  aid  of  the  Government,  and  under  its  authority. 
They  say  that  the  rapids  of  the  Upper  Mississppi  could 
be  improved  by  a  slack-water  navigation,  or  a  canal, 
which  would  enhance  the  value  of  the  public  lands. 

This  subject,  Mr.  Linn  said,  was  taken  up  by  the 
population  of  the  whole  valley  of  the  Mississippi. 
Every  man,  woman  and  child,  ir.  that  valley  was 
directly  hiterested  in  the  improvement  of  the  great 


i 


i|-: 


115 


.4 


■i 


A 


296 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


Western  rivers.  This  population  must  and  Avill  be 
heard  on  this  important  matter.  He  could  not  face 
his  constituents  without  doing  all  in  his  power  to  obvi- 
ate the  crying  and  melancholy  evils  complained  of. 
He  could  not  return  home  unless  he  exerted  himself 
with  all  the  abiUty  and  energy  he  possessed,  to  procure 
this  appropriation. 

Nearly  four  millions  of  property,  Mr.  L.  said,  had 
been  destroyed  in  less  than  four  years, — a  greater  loss, 
he  presumed,  than  has  occurred  from  storm  or  tempest 
on  our  Atlantic  coast.  This  can  be  obviated  by  Con- 
gress on  the  Western  waters,  whilst  God  alone  can 
command  the  storms  of  the  great  deep.  The  greatest 
amount  of  loss  will  be  found  between  St.  Louis  and 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio, — a  distance  of  two  hundred 
miles.  A  snag-boat  at  work  at  a  few  points  designated 
emphatically,  "steamboat  graveyards,"  would  have 
prevented  all  the  destruction  of  property  and  loss  of 
life  complained  of  in  this  and  other  petitions.  Cap- 
tain Shreve  eradicated  one  year  all  the  snags  that  for- 
merly obstructed  these  points,  by  which  the  naviga- 
tion was  rendered  comparatively  safe.  This  can  be 
done  again.  It  was  vainly  hoped  that  the  iron  steam- 
boats would  have  resisted  the  snags  and  sawyers, 
which  stand  in  some  places  like  a  forest  of  enormous 
trees.  This  has  been  tested,  and  the  boats  are  found 
incapable  of  resisting  the  force  of  the  snag.     The  Val- 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


297 


ley  Forge  iron  boat  was  lost  this  winter ;  but  had  been 
since  raised.  Scarcely  a  Western  newspaper  can  be 
taken  up,  in  which  some  account  of  a  fresh  wreck  can- 
not be  found.  Last  night  he  obsei'ved  in  one  tlie  loss 
of  the  Henry  Clay,  valued  at  $40,000,  without  estima- 
ting the  cargo.  Two  hundred  millions  of  dollars  are 
involved  in  the  trade  carried  on  by  steamboats  on  these 
rivers — thirty  millions  belonging  to  St.  Louis. 

The  right  of  Congress  to  make  appropriations  for  the 
purpose  of  improving  rivers  and  harbors,  the  great 
highways  of  commerce,  both  external  and  internal,  hav- 
ing been  questioned  by  some  of  our  statesmen,  and 
become,  partially,  one  of  the  dividing  questions  between 
the  political  parties  of  the  country,  it  is  thought  to  be 
not  out  of  place  here  to  give,  very  briefly,  the  views  of 
several  senators  as  expressed  on  this  occasion.  Since 
this  debate  occurred  Mr.  Polk  and  Mr.  Pierce,  while 
exercising  the  duties  of  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation, 
have  vetoed  bills'  making  such  appropriations  on  the 
ground  of  their  unconstitutionality. 

Mr.  Smith  of  Indiana,  following  Mr.  Linn,  said, 
he  fully  and  heartily  concurred  with  the  memorialists, 
as  well  as  in  the  very  just  remarks  of  the  senator  from 
Missouri.  The  subject  was  of  great  importance  to  the 
whole  country,  but  especially  so  to  the  Great  West. 
He  had  long  thought  that  this  important  matter  had 


298 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


i  i 


■\i .:! 


been  too  much  neglected  by  Congress,  Such  had  been 
tlie  loss  of  projjerty  and  sacrifice  of  human  life,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  neglect  of  the  Government  to  remove 
the  obstructions  from  the  Western  waters,  and  to  pro- 
vide safe  harbors  on  the  Western  lakes,  that  there  was 
and  would  be,  but  one  voice  on  the  subject,  and  he 
tnisted  tiuit  the  time  had  arrived  for  effective  action  on 
the  subject.  He  woidd  not  go  into  an  examination  of 
the  details  of  the  memorials  referred  to,  but  the  facts 
are  most  startling,  and  he  recommended  their  careful 
examination  to  the  committee  to  whom  they  were 
referred. 

Mr.  Huntington, — chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Commerce,  said,  he  could  assure  the  Senate  that  the 
subject  had  not  escaped  the  Committee  on  Commerce. 
Several  memorials  were  before  the  committee,  where 
the  most  anxious  desire  to  do  justice  in  the  matter 
prevailed. 

Mr.  Allen  (of  Ohio),  expressed  his  satisfaction  at 
the  assurance  just  given  by  the  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Commerce,  that  the  subject  would  be  care- 
fully considered.  He  would  move  the  printing  of  the 
memorial.  He  hoped  the  committee  would  embody 
all  the  facts,  information  and  reasoning  of  the  several 
memorials  in  one  general  report,  showing  the  extent, 
importance,  and  value  of  the  navigation  of  the  Western 
waters,  and  the  loss  of  life  and  property  occasioned 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


299 


)n  at 

ICom- 

care- 

If  the 

^body 

jveral 

:tent, 

Istern 

ioned 


by  the   obstructions,  for  the   removal  of  which   the 
appropriation  is  asked. 

Mr.  Barrow  stated,  tluit  it  was  the  purpose  of  the 
conunittee  to  do  wliat  the  senator  liad  expressed  a  wish 
should  be  done.  Every  member  of  the  couuuittec,  as 
far  as  he  could  observe,  was  well  disposed  towards  the 
object  in  view,  and  all  were  aware  of  the  importance 
of  the  navigation  of  these  Western  waters,  and  of  the 
necessity  of  doing  something  to  arrest  the  losses  com- 
plained of.  The  duty  of  collating  the  materials  and 
facts,  and  of  making  a  report,  had  been  assigned  to 
him  by  the  connnittee,  and  he  was  engaged  in  prepar- 
ing it. 

Mr.  Calhoun  said,  in  the  absence  of  a  representa- 
tion of  the  State  of  Tennessee  in  this  body,  he  thought 
it  proper  to  call  the  attention  of  the  connnittee  to  one 
of  the  main  branches  of  the  Mississippi  River,  which 
had  apparently  been  entirely  overlooked ;  he  alluded  to 
the  Tennessee  River.  That  river  was,  he  believed,  of 
more  importance  than  any  other  of  the  branches  of  the 
Mississippi,  with  the  exception  of  the  Ohio.  There 
were  no  less  than  six  States  interested  in  the  naviga- 
tion of  that  river.  It  was  a  larger  stream  than  the 
Ohio,  and  if  the  same  expense  were  bestowed  upon  it, 
as  upon  the  Ohio  River,  he  woidd  not  be  at  all  sur- 
prifesd  to  see,  in  the  course  of  ten  years,  the  commerce 
upon  that  river  exceed  that  of  the  Ohio.     He  hoped 


11 

t 


fi- 


300 


LIFE    OP    DR.    LINN. 


>'*  i 


•i  ! 
i   . 

r; 


,!  i    ! 


i;^:i 


the  committee  avouIcI  establish  some  principle  upon 
wliich  the  navigation  of  these  renl  internal  seas — for 
such  to  all  intents  they  were — might  be  imj)roved ; 
and  to  see  how  far  this  great  river  was  entitled  to  their 
attention,  on  the  principle  thus  established. 

Mr.  Benton  called  the  attention  of  the  committee 
to  the  appropriation  of  $100,000  made  at  the  last 
session  for  I'cmoving  obstructions,  and  complained  that 
nothing  had  been  done  under  this  appropriation. 

Mr.  AValker  called  the  attention  of  the  committee 
to  a  navigable  tributary  of  the  Mississippi,  flowing  GOO 
miles  through  a  country  that  furnished  a  larger  con- 
tribution of  cotton  to  the  commerce  of  the  South,  than 
either  the  Tennessee  or  the  Red  River,  or  the  Arkansas. 
He  alluded  to  the  Yazoo-  River.  He  entered  into  a 
variety  of  details  showing  the  importance  and  value  of 
the  navigation  of  this  river,  and  those  tributary  to  it. 

Mr.  W.  thought  this  a  question  of  as  great  impor- 
tance as  could  come  before  the  committee  on  conunerce. 
The  navigation  of  these  great  inland  channels  of  com- 
munication with  the  Ocean,  furnished  more  produce  for 
exportation  than  the  Atlantic  coast. 

Mr.  Crittenden  hoped  that  something  would  be 
done  in  relation  to  the  great  rivers  of  the  West — the 
Mississippi  and  tne  Ohio,  and  perhaps  some  others ; 
but  if  they  Averc  going  to  include  all  the  inferior 
streams,  it  Avas  perfectly  evident,  as  had  been  well  said 


jfiiirl 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


301 


by  the  Senator  from  Alabama  (Mr.  King),  they  would 
not  be  able  to  legislate  upon  the  subject  at  all.  These 
rivers  are  our  great  inland  ocean,  and  they  had  as  mu(;h 
right  to  claim  the  assistance  of  the  government  as 
those  living  on  the  Atlantic  coast  had.  He  hoped  the 
committee  which  had  charge  of  the  subject  would  con- 
line  themselves  to  the  great  object  of  the  improvement 
of  these  large  rivers. 

Each  of  the  senators  who  spoke  on  this  occasion, 
not  only  recognized  the  right  but  the  duty  of  Congress 
to  make  appropriations  to  improve  the  navigation  of 
these  Western  rivers.  Mr.  Calhoun,  it  will  be  noted, 
denominated  the  rivers  of  the  West  "  great  internal 
SEAS,"  and  as  such  he  admitted  the  duty  of  the  govern- 
ment to  make  appropriations  for  the  improvement  of 
their  navigation  and  the  security  of  life  and  property 
upon  them. 

But  the  necessity  for  these  appropriations  is  not 
now  perhaps  so  important ;  not  that  the  obstructions 
to  the  navigation  upon  the  waters  of  the  West  do  not 
now  exist  to  the  same  extent  as  formerly,  but  from  the 
fact  that  the  construction  of  railroads  connecting  the 
great  commercial  cities  of  the  West  with  the  great  cities 
on  the  Atlantic,  and  thereby  enabling  the  people  of 
the  West  to  send  forward  their  produce  and  receive 
goods  hi  return  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  in  nuich 
less  time  than  formerly,  is  shifting  the  commerce  from 


liir  111 


. .  .,  ■'-'I 


P  R  o  ^/  i  r- ,' ':. !  A  •-.  U  i  3  r?  A  R  Y 
VICTORIA,  B.  C. 


)' 


302 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


'  I 


I  i 


i-i 


;-f!i': 

m 


m 


■■; 


11. 


f 


ff! 


the  rivers  to  the  raiboads,  and  bids  fair  to  render  the 
former  highways  of  trade  and  commerce  wholly  useless 
except  for  those  residing  immediately  on  the  banks  of 
these  streams,  and  for  cities  which  have  no  other  channel 
of  communication ;  as,  for  instance,  between  St.  Louis 
and  New  Orleans,  Natchez,  Memphis,  Little  Rock,  &c., 
and  between  St.  Louis  and  St.  Paul.  But  how  long 
it  may  be  ere  St.  Louis  shall  be  connected  with  each 
and  all  of  these  cities  by  railroads,  remains  to  be  seen ; 
probably  not  many  years,  however ;  and  then  we  shall 
seldom  hear  of  the  destruction  of  steamboats  by  snags 
and  saAvyers  upon  the  Mississippi  River,  and  the  loss 
of  a  great  number  of  lives  with  the  total  loss  of  boat 
and  cargo.  The  time  is  not  distant,  when,  instead  of 
ten  or  twenty  steamboats  arriving  at  the  wharves  of 
that  city  per  day  from  New  Orleans,  Pittsburg,  Cincin- 
nati, Louisville,  Memphis,  Natchez,  Galena,  Burlington, 
Davenport,  Dubuque,  St.  Paul,  and  from  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  fifty  or  sixty,  perhaps  a  hundred,  trains  of 
rail  cars  will  daily  come  rushing  into  that  city  from 
almost  every  part  of  the  compass,  and  from  every  part 
of  our  great  Republic,  even  from  San  Francisco,  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  River,  Puget's  Sound,  Salt 
Lake,  &c.,  &c.  And  who  will  now  undertake  to  say 
that  the  city  of  Mexico  itself,  will  not  be  the  terminus 
of  one  of  these  numerous  routes  of  rapid  intercom- 
munication ? 


CHAPTER   VI 


GENERAL    JACKSON    S     FINE. 


It  is  a  matter  of  history,  that  in  1815,  soon  after 
the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  and  while  General  Jackson 
was  still  in  that  city,  he  deemed  it  his  duty  to  adopt 
and  pursue  such  a  course  of  measures  as  brought  him 
in  conflict  with  the  civU  authorities,  and  that  a  fine  of 
one  thousand  dollars  was  imposed  upon  him  by  Judge 
Hall,  U.  S.  District  Judge,  for  an  alleged  contempt 
of  the  judicial  authority.  Parties  and  party  feeling  ran 
excessively  high  there  at  the  time.  On  the  one  hand, 
it  w^as  alleged  that  the  General  acted  in  the  most  arbi- 
trary and  tyrannical  manner  towards  some  of  the 
citizens  of  Louisiana,  and  especially  in  proclaiming 
martial  law  and  imprisoning  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture ;  on  the  other  hand,  it  was  asserted  ui  justification 
of  his  proceedings,  that  there  were  treasonable  designs 
afoot,  and  that  the  measures  taken  by  General  Jackson 


Jj  'I  . 


w 

■:i 

1' 

! 

•!! 

ll 

r 

.;( 

!  ■ 

i  . 

i^ 

,( 

}\ 

1 

I 

'  .i ' 

■ 

• 

304 


Lirii   OF   DR.    LINN. 


11*1 


m^^'-^' 


'^:! 


i'i 


\ 


',*:\ 


ui 


were  necessary  to  the  security  of  the  city.  Judge  Hall 
having  been  applied  to  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  in 
behalf  of  Louis  Louallier,  who,  as  was  alleged,  Avas 
held  in  illegal  imprisonment,  granted  the  same,  and  was 
therefor  arrested  and  confined  by  order  of  General 
Jackson,  and  after  six  days  confinement  in  the  guard- 
house, was  conducted  by  a  file  of  soldiers  out  of  the 
city,  and  beyond  the  lines  of  the  camp.  It  was  for 
this  act,  this  alleged  interference  Avith  the  judicial 
authority,  that  the  general  was  afterwards  cited  before, 
and  fined  one  thousand  dollars  by  the  judge.  All  the 
circumstances  attending  these  transactionSj  the  eminent 
stations  of  the  two  prominent  men  concerned,  the 
General  and  the  Judge,  the  conflict  that  it  involved 
between  the  military  and  the  civil  power,  all  were  cal- 
culated to  excite  an  unusual  degree  of  feehng  and  as- 
perity between  those  who  enUsted  on  the  one  side  or  on 
the  other.  Accordingly,  when  the  fine  was  imposed 
and  paid,  the  sum  was  almost  instantly  raised  by  the 
friends  of  General  Jackson,  and  handed  to  him ;  but 
instead  of  putting  the  money  in  his  own  pocket,  he 
ordered  it  to  be  applied  to  charitable  purposes. 

His  friends  throughout  the  Union  had  insisted 
upon  the  injustice  of  this  fine,  but  it  was  not  till  after 
he  had  retired  from  public  life  that  the  refunding  of 
this  fine  by  the  United  States  was  proposed  and  warmly 
advocated  in  various   State    legislatures  and   public 


LIFE    OV   DR.    LINN. 


305 


meetings.  No  subject  lay  nearer  the  heart  of  Dr.  Linn 
than  the  refunding  of  this  fine  to  General  Jackson,  and 
he  consequently  took  an  active  part  in  procuring  the 
passage  of  the  bill  for  that  purpose.  In  his  inmost 
heart,  aye,  in  his  heart  of  hearts,  he  believed  the  fine 
wrongfully  imposed ;  that  the  general  was  at  the  time 
and  in  doing  that  for  which  he  was  fined,  acting  the 
part  of  a  true,  bold  and  determined  patriot,  bent  upon 
saving  New  Orleans  from  the  enemy  at  any  hazard  to 
iiimself  personally,  and  feeling  thus,  it  was  natural  that 
one  possessing  his  ardent  temperament,  and  entertain- 
ing the  warmest  feeling  of  personal  attachment  to  the 
ex- President,  should  at  least  show  no  lukewarmness  in 
a  matter  which  so  deeply  concerned  the  latter. 

On  the  other  hand,  those  who  opposed  the  refund- 
ing of  this  fine,  were  equally  honest  and  sincere  in 
their  conviction  that  it  had  been  rightfully  imposed ; 
that  General  Jackson  had  most  unwarrantably  attempted 
to  place  the  military  above  the  civil  and  judicial  power 
of  the  country,  and  in  imprisoning  a  U.  S.  judge  in 
his  camp  for  granting  a  writ  of  right,  committed  a  most 
flagrant  breach  of  the  laws  and  a  most  unjustifiable 
act  of  arbitrary  power. 

The  friends  of  the  measure  did  not  place  it  upon 

the  ground  that  General  Jackson  had  a  constitutional 

right  to  do  what  he  did :  Dr.  L.  in  the  course  of  the 

debate  said  "  that  the  friends  of  this  measure  had  not 
20 


I'fii 


"t 


m 


lift' 


r   : 


306 


LIFE   OF    DR     LINN. 


I 


argued  it  on  the  ground  of  ths  act  for  which  the  fine 
was  incurred  being  constitutional.  He  apprehended 
not  one  of  his  friends  had  taken  that  position,  and  that 
therefore  the  senator  from  Delaware  (Mr.  Bayard) 
was  in  eiTor  in  supposing  it  so  advocated.  What  he 
and  his  friends  did  say  was,  that  General  Jackson, 
under  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed,  acted 
nobly,  and  merited  the  approval  and  gratitude  of  the 
whole  country,  so  fuUy,  unequivocally,  and  repeatedly 
awarded  to  him  then,  and  ever  since  the  transaction. 
He  was  not  the  man  voluntarily  to  abandon  his  duty 
to  his  country  in  such  a  crisis,  and  take  refuge  behind 
the  letter  of  the  constitution  for  his  excuse  after  both 
country  and  constitution  were  destroyed  by  an  invading 
enemy."  And  Mr,  Buchanan  said,  "  It  had  never  been 
contended  on  this  floor  that  a  military  commander  pos- 
sessed the  power,  under  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  to  declare  martial  law.  No  such  principle  had 
ever  been  asserted  on  this  (the  Democratic)  side  of  the 
Senate.  *  *  *  We  do  not  contend,  strictly  speak- 
ing, that  General  Jackson  had  any  constitutional  right 
to  declare  martial  law  at  New  Orleans ;  but  that,  as 
this  exercise  of  power  was  the  only  means  of  saving  the 
city  from  captiu-e  by  the  enemy,  he  stood  anply  justi- 
fied before  the  country  for  the  act.  We  place  the 
argument  not  upon  the  ground  of  strict  constitutional 
right,  but  of  such  an  overruling  necessity  as  left  General 


Ml 


Lirii    OP   DR.    LINN. 


307 


Jackson  no  alternative  but  the  establishment  of  martial 
law,  or  the  sacrifice  of  New  Orleans  to  the  rapine  and 
lust  of  the  British  soldiery." 

This  subject  was,  on  several  occasions,  brought  be- 
fore Congress  by  Dr.  Linn,  whose  remarks  upon  it,  de- 
livered in  the  Senate  on  the  14th  of  May,  1843,  are 
here  inserted. 


Remarks  of  Mr.  Linn,  of  Missouri,  on  the  bill  to  in- 
demnify General  Jackson  for  the  fine  imposed  on 
him  at  New  Orleans  in  1815,  delivered  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  May  14,  1842. 

The  following  bill  being  under  consideration,  viz : 

A  BILL  to  indemnify  Major  General  Andrew  Jackson  for  damage 
sustained  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duty. 

Be  it  enacted  hy  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That 
the  proper  accounting  officers  of  the  Treasury  Department  be, 
and  they  are  hereby,  directed  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  the 
penalty  or  damages  awarded  by  the  district  judge  of  the  United 
States,  at  New  Orleans,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  fifteen, 
against  Major  General  Andrew  Jackson,  then  commander-in- 
chief  of  that  district,  for  official  acts  in  that  capacity,  and  paid 
by  him  at  that  time ;  and  that  the  sum  so  paid,  with  interest  at 
six  per  cent,  per  annum,  be  paid  to  Major  General  Andrew  Jack- 
son, out  of  any  moneys  in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated. 

Mr.  Linn  said  he  desired  to  occupy  the  attention 


308 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


t  !; 


W: 


Vi 


I  u 


1  ! 


■ii 


of  the  Senate  a  short  time  by  a  few  obseiTations,  in 
reply  to  the  Senator  from  Louisiana  (Mr.  Conrad.) 

If  this  were  the  first  case  of  the  kind  (said  Mr.  L.) 
which  had  occurred  in  the  history  of  the  countiy,  I 
miglit,  perhaps,  be  induced  to  pause  while  in  the  act  of 
extending  sheer  justice  to  an  injured  citizen.  But,  sir, 
our  statute-books  nbound  in  precedents — cases  in  which 
military  and  naval  officers,  as  well  as  other  agents  in 
almost  evay  department  of  the  Government,  having, 
in  the  discharge  of  their  duty,  incurred  the  penalty  of 
the  law,  and  been  obliged  to  pay  fines,  have  called  upon 
us  for  relief,  and  have  seldom,  or  nexer,  called  in  vain. 

In  the  case  now  presented  to  the  Senate,  what  are 
we  required  to  do?  Nothing,  sir — nothing  but  a 
simple,  naked,  and  unencumbered  act  of  justice  to  a 
citizen  who  has  been  fined  by  a  court  for  an  act  done 
while  in  the  performance  of  his  duty,  and  while  render- 
ing most  valuable  and  important  services  to  his  country. 
This  is  the  only  true  and  proper  light  in  which  the 
subject  can  be  viewed ;  and  it  can  serve  no  good  object 
to  intermix  extraneous  matters,  as  proposed  in  the 
amendments,  Avith  the  plain  question.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  make  any  allusion  to  the  judge  by  whom  the 
fine  was  imposed ;  and  the  bill  is,  therefore,  silent  as  to 
Judge  Hall.  It  neither  condemns  his  motives  nor  his 
acts.  It  is  possible,  as  I  remarked  the  other  day,  that 
the  Judge  and  the  General,  in  the  discharge  of  theh' 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


309 


peculiar  duties,  may  have  both  been  right.  JFe  all 
know  that  the  General  was  riglit.  In  regard  to  the 
former,  we  are  not  called  upon,  and  it  is  worse  than 
useless  now  to  express  an  opinion  directly  or  indirectly ; 
and  as  to  the  latter,  should  we  now  refuse  to  extend  to 
him  the  simple  act  of  justice  which  the  bill  provides,  or 
clog  it  Avith  derogatory  amendments,  wc  would  trample 
upon  every  generous  emotion  which  moved  the  bosoms 
of  the  fair  daughters  of  New  Orleans  when  they  gath- 
ered their  jewels  to  ward  off  the  blow  aimed  at  their 
gallant  preserver  by  an  indignant  judiciary — every 
noble  and  generous  impulse  which  has  moved  a  free 
people  to  elevate  him,  by  their  suffrages,  above  the 
sentence  of  the  court. 

I  repeat,  an  investigation  into  the  motives  or  the 
acts  of  Judge  Hall  is  uncalled  for ;  and  I  will  not  con- 
tribute to  such  an  investigation.  The  question  has  but 
one  bearing  or  poirt  to  which  we  must  look.  It  is 
confined  to  this  inquiry  -.  Was  the  declaration  of  martial 
law  necessary  to  the  safety  of  New  Orleans  ?  It  would 
be  a  waste  of  time  to  seek,  here  or  elsewhere,  for  a  man 
who  will  give  a  negative  answer  to  this  question ;  for 
all,  I  believe — even  the  Senator  (Mr.  Conrad)  himself 
— ^will  admit  that  General  Jackson  had  good  and  suffi- 
cient ground  for  believing  that  martial  law  was  neces- 
sary ;  that  his  imperative  duty  was,  to  save  the  city — 
and,  as  a  means,  that  duty  required  him  to  establish 


•fi\   \: 


J'^ 


310 


LIFE   OP    UR     LINN. 


'Ai 


!<*:?' 


i 


;  t 


martial  law.  But,  if,  at  this  day,  it  should  be  con- 
tended that  the  grounds  of  the  General's  belief  were 
insufficient,  to  what  source,  I  would  ask,  must  the 
error  be  traced?  There  was  no  error  in  the  case ;  many 
good  reasons  existed,  and  they  were  communicated  to 
General  Jackson  by  the  highest  civil  authorities  of  the 
State — Governor  Claiborne  among  the  number;  and 
were  by  those  authorities  deemed  to  be  of  such  a 
nature  as  to  render  the  establishment  of  martial  law 
indispensably  necessary  to  its  safety. 

Of  this  indispensable  necessity,  the  most  incredu- 
lous will  be  convinced  by  reading  the  letters  of  Gov- 
ernor Claiborne  to  General  Jackson.  In  that  of  the 
8th  of  August,  1814,  he  says  : 

*'  On  a  late  occasion  I  had  the  mortification  to  acknowlege  my 
inability  to  meet  a  requisition  from  General  Flournoy ;  the  corps 
of  this  city  having,  for  the  most  part,  resisted  my  orders ;  being 
encouraged  in  their  disobedience  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State, 
then  in  session ;  one  branch  of  which,  the  Senate,  having  de- 
clared the  requisition  illegal  and  oppressive,  and  the  House  of 
Representatives  having  rejected  a  proposition  to  approve  the 
measure.  How  far  I  shall  be  supported  in  my  late  orders,  remains 
yet  to  be  proved.  I  have  reason  to  calculate  upon  the  patriotism 
of  the  interior  and  western  counties.  I  know,  also,  that  there  are 
many  faithful  citizens  in  New  Orleans;  but  there  are  others,  in 
whose  attachment  to  the  United  States  /  ought  not  to  confide. 
Upon  the  whole,  sir,  I  cannot  disguise  the  fact,  that  if  Louisiana 
should  be  attacked,  we  must  principally  depend  for  security  upon 
the  prompt  movements  of  the  regular  force  under  your  command, 


LIFE   OP    DR.    LINN. 


311 


and  the  militia  of  the  Western  States  and  Territories.  At  this 
moment,  we  are  in  a  very  unprepared  and  defenceless  condition  ; 
several  important  points  of  defence  remain  unoccupied,  and,  in 
case  of  a  sudden  attack,  this  capital  would,  I  fear,  fall  an  easy 
sacrifice." 

On  the  1 2tli  of  the  same  month  the  General  was 
told— 

"  On  the  native  Americans  and  a  vast  maj'orUy  of  the  Cre- 
oles of  the  country,  I  place  much  confidence ;  nor  do  I  doubt  the 
fidelity  of  many  Europeans  who  have  long  resided  in  the  country  ; 
but  there  are  others,  much  devoted  to  the  interest  of  Spain,  and 
whose  partiality  to  the  English  is  not  less  observable  than  their 
dislike  to  the  American  Government." 

In  a  letter  of  the  24th,  the  same  ideas  arc  repeated — 

"  Be  assured,  sir,  that  no  exertions  shall  be  wanting  on  my 
part ;  but  I  cannot  disguise  from  you  that  I  have  a  very  difficult 
people  to  manage  ;  to  this  moment,  no  opposition  to  the  requisition 
has  manifested  itself,  but  I  am  not  seconded  with  that  ardent  zeal 
which,  in  my  opinion,  the  crisis  demands.  We  look  with  great 
anxiety  to  your  movements,  and  place  our  greatest  reliance  for 
safety  on  the  energy  and  patriotism  of  the  Western  States.  In 
Louisiana  there  are  many  faithful  citizens :  these  last  persuade 
themselves  that  Spain  will  soon  repossess  herself  of  Louisiana,  and 
they  seem  to  believe  that  a  combined  Spanish  and  English  force 
will  soon  appear  on  our  coast.  If  Louisiana  is  invaded,  I  shall 
put  myself  at  the  head  of  such  of  my  militia  as  will  follow  mo 
to  the  field,  and,  on  receiving,  shall  obey  your  orders.  I  need 
not  assure  you  of  my  entire  confidence  in  you  as  a  commander, 
and  of  the  pleasure  I  shall  experience  in  supporting  all  your 
measures  for  the  common  defence.  But,  sir,  a  cause  of  indescri- 
bable chagrin  to  mo  is,  that  I  am  not  at  the  head  of  a  willing  and 


;  .1 71 


liii^ij 


312 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


?} 


!,n 


united  people  :  native  Americans,  native  Louisianiana,  Frenchmen 
and  Spaniards,  with  some  Englishmen,  compose  the  mass  of  the 
population — among  them  there  exists  much  jealousy,  and  as  great 
diflFerences  in  political  sentiments,  as  in  their  language  and  habits. 
But  nevertheless,  sir,  if  wo  are  supported  by  a  respectable  body 
of  regular  troops,  or  of  Western  militia,  I  trust  I  shall  be  able 
to  bring  to  your  aid  a  valiant  and  faithful  corps  of  Louisiana 
militia ;  but  if  we  are  left  to  rely  principally  on  our  own  re- 
sources, I  fear  existing  jealousies  will  lead  to  distrust  so  general, 
that  we  shall  be  able  to  make  but  a  feeble  resistance." 

If  there  be  any  upon  whose  minds  there  hngers  a 
doubt  upon  this  question,  let  him  look  at  the  picture 
which  New  Orleans  presented  at  that  day.  A  quarter 
of  a  century  ago,  the  organization  of  the  society  of  that 
city  was  peculiar ;  in  its  composition  there  was  much 
that  was  foreign  to  our  institutions,  in  act  and  in  feeling ; 
for  in  it  was  infused  a  mixture  from  the  continent  of 
Europe,  of  men  not  native  to  our  soil — from  France, 
Spain,  Portugal,  Britain,  and  Germany — many  of  whom 
felt  a  deep  gratitude  to  England  for  the  overthrow  of 
Bonaparte.  Indeed,  when  we  reflect  upon  the  situation 
of  New  Orleans  as  it  then  was,  in  regard  to  this  por- 
tion of  its  population  alone,  we  might  well  be  justified 
in  lauding  the  declaration  of  martial  law  by  General 
Jackson,  even  aside  from  the  fact  that  he  was  urged  to 
do  so  by  the  civil  authorities  of  the  State,  and  by  others 
of  its  most  gaUant  and  patriotic  sons. 

If,  sir,  my  memory  serves  me,  something  fell  from 


LIFE   OF    DR.  LINN. 


313 


the  gentleman  from  Louisiana,  which  indicated  a  desire, 
on  liis  part,  that  the  friends  of  Gen.  Jackson  siiouhl 
establish  the  fact  that  he  was  justified,  on  legal  consti- 
tutional grounds,  for  adopting  the  course  which  he  i)ur- 
sued  at  New  Orleans.  He  would  require  us  to  point 
out  the  law  \mder  which  the  General  acted.  I  trust 
the  Senator  will  be  satisfied  with  the  fact,  that  many 
emergencies  arise  in  war — and,  indeed,  some  in  peace — 
in  which  the  high  civil  and  militaiy  servants  of  the 
people  are,  from  necessity,  compelled  to  "  take  the  re- 
sponsibility "  of  doing  some  act  for  the  safety  of  the 
country,  which  is  beyond  the  pale  of  their  ordinary 
duties,  and,  if  the  Senator  pleases,  beyond  the  law. 
Agahi :  I  could  refer  the  Senator  to  the  cases  in  which 
Generals  Wilkinson,  Brown,  and  other  officers  on  the 
frontiers  of  the  State  of  New  York,  have  been  amerced 
for  arresting  and  impris')ning  persons  on  suspicion  of 
being  spies  or  traitors. 

There  are  precedents  innumerable  where  officers 
have  been  found  guilty  of  breaches  of  law  in  the  dis- 
charge of  their  duty,  and,  therefore,  calling  for  the  in- 
terference of  a  just  Government.  Of  these,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  introduc  3  a  few,  where  the  Government 
did  interpose  and  give  relief  to  the  injured  officer. 
These  cases  commenced  as  early  as  August,  1790,  and 
have  continued  down  to  the  present  time.  Thus,  in 
April,  1818,  Major  General  Jacob  Brown  was  indem- 


■'if 


*'lii 


I 


I 


m 


m 


314 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


ii!i,''i'^i 


'   li 


',' 


♦i 


nified  for  damages  sustained  under  sentence  of  civil 
law,  for  having  confined  an  individual  found  near  his 
camp,  suspected  of  traitorous  designs. 

At  the  same  session,  Captain  Austin  and  Lieutenant 
Wells  were  indemnified  against  nine  judgments,  amount- 
ing to  upwards  of  $6,000,  for  having  confined  nine 
individuals  suspected  of  treachery  to  the  country.  In 
this  case  it  was  justly  remarked  by  the  then  Secretary 
of  War,  (John  C.  Calhoun,)  that  "  if  it  shoidd  be  de- 
termined that  no  law  authorized"  the  act,  "yet  I 
would  respectfully  suggest  that  there  may  be  cases,  in 
the  exigencies  of  war,  in  which,  if  the  commander 
should  transcend  his  legal  power,  Congress  ought  to 
protect  him.  and  those  who  act  under  him,  from  con- 
sequential damages ;  "  in  which  the  committee  of  the 
House  of  Representati  /PS,  as  stated  by  their  chairman, 
the  lately  deceased  member  from  North  Carolina  (Mr. 
Williams)  concurred. 

In  the  case  of  General  Robert  Swartwout,  in  1818, 
the  conunittee  by  whoni  it  was  reported  stated  that  "  it 
is  considered  one  of  those  extreme  cases  of  necessity 
in  which  an  overstepping  of  the  established  legal  rules 
of  society  stands  fully  justified." 

In  May,  1820,  General  James  Wilkinson  was  in- 
demnified for  damages  recovered  against  him  by  Gen- 
eral Adair,  on  account  of  false  imprisonment. 

In  March,  1823,  Colonel  Robert  Purdy  was  in- 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


315 


demnified  for  damages,  for  having  arrested  and  impris- 
oned an  individual  fomid  near  liis  garrison,  whose  acts 
had  done  injury  to  the  subordination  of  i\\i\t  post,  and 
were  calculated  to  violate  law.  In  this  case  it  was  re- 
marked that,  "  admitting  the  court  to  be  correct,  both  as 
to  jurisdiction  and  the  definition  "  of  the  character, 
&c.,  yet  the  conmiittee  are  of  opinion  the  petitioner  is 
entitled  to  relief,  because  they  are  satisfied  he  acted 
with  the  sole  view  of  promoting  the  public  irterest 
confided  to  his  command. 

In  March,  1823,  Lieutenant  Robert  F.  Stockton, 
of  the  navy,  was  indemnified  for  damages  sustnined  on 
account  of  the  capture  and  detention  of  a  vessel  t.nd 
crew.  The  committee,  in  this  case,  remarked,  that, 
"  having  maturely  considered  the  case,"  they  "  are  of 
opinion  that  in  the  capture,"  &c.,  "  he  was  actuated  by 
an  honest  determination  to  discharge,  in  a  proper 
manner,  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  the  Government." 

Cases  in  point  might  be  further  nndtiplied,  were  it 
deemed  necessary,  to  show  the  entire  willingness  of  the 
Government,  at  all  times,  to  protect  its  faithf.il  officers 


and  agents  in  the  discharge  of  their  official 


duties. 


Sir,  in  all  these  examples,  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  have  paid  or  remitted  tlieir  fines,  by  the 
usual  preliminary  course  of  investigation  and  report  by 
a  committee.  The  same  principles  governed,  and  the 
same  proceedings  occurred,  in  aU  the  cases.     Tlie  pub- 


316 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


••  •it 


!!•  . 


!!-i 


■  i'-j*'  .' 


W\ 


-I     i 


lie  good  was  presumed  to  be  the  governing  motive  of 
the  officer,  and  the  grounds  of  the  act  complained  of. 
And  in  all  these  instances,  in  which  provision  was  made 
to  refand  the  fines,  no  difference  in  princijjle  can  be 
found  from  that  involved  in  the  case  now  presented. 
And  in  respect  to  this  fine,  which  was  exact  3d  from 
General  Jackson,  I  would  ask,  are  Senators  prepared  to 
make  his  case  an  exception  ? 

I  would  have  avoided,  if  possible,  saying  any  thing 
in  reference  to  the  deeds  of  General  Jackson  ;  neither 
do  I  wish  to  point  the  Senate  to  the  halo  v/ith  vv  nc 
those  deeds  have  surrounded  his  venerable  head  and 
illumined  his  country.  My  voice  will  not  be  heard  in 
utterance  of  his  praise,  to  induce  Senators  to  support 
the  bill  which  they  are  new  considering.  Nor  is  it 
necessary ;  for  ever  ihose  who  have  opposed  obstacles 
to  its  passage — obstacles  which  have  surprised  me,  and 
which  I  doubt  not  will  be  viewed  with  astonishment  by 
a  vast  majority  of  the  people  of  this  republic — ^liave  ad- 
mitted his  just  claim  to  honor  and  fame,  and  the  grati- 
tude of  his  countrymen.  His  actions  proclaim  for 
themselves  their  enduring  fame ;  gratitude  has  stamped 
them  upon  our  memories;  and  the  true  and  steady 
hand  of  History  will  grave  them  deeply  upon  her  im- 
perishable tablets.  His  good  name  cannot  now  be 
sullied ;  it  is  placed  in  the  scroll  which  contains  the  Hst 
of  those  whom  freemen  and  patriots  deUght  to  honor. 


•I 


\\\ 


1 '  ' 


LIFE    OP   DR.    LINN. 


317 


•I 


His  reputation,  like  a  star,  far  above  the  clouds  of  de- 
traction which  float  around  our  censorious  world,  wiU 
shine  with  a  brighter  radiance  as  the  flight  of  time 
shall  hallow  his  memory. 

I  have  given  a  few  out  of  many  precedents ;  though 
I  am  free  to  confess  that,  when  this  bill  was  submitted 
to  the  consideration  of  the  Senate,  I  did  not  anticipate 
that  gentlemen  would  take  a  course  which  would  render 
them  necessary.  I  have  one  now  before  me ;  and,  as 
it  is  of  peculiar  applicability,  and  supported  by  an 
opinion  from  a  source  to  which  Senators  will  attach  a 
sincere  veneration,  I  will  ask  their  particular  attention 
to  it.  The  case  arose  from  the  arrest  of  certain  in- 
dividuals suspected  of  treason  by  Geiieral  Wilkinson ; 
and,  in  defence  of  the  course  pursued  by  the  General, 
President  Jefferson  expressed  his  opinion  in  the  letter 
which  I  will  read  with  the  permission  of  the  Senate. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr.  Jefferson  to  John  B.  Colvin,  Esq. 

"  To  proceed  to  the  conspiracy  of  Burr,  and  particularly  to 
•  General  Wilkinson's  situation  in  New  Orleans.  In  judging  this 
case  we  are  bound  to  consider  the  state  of  the  information,  cor- 
rect and  incorrect,  which  he  then  possessed.  He  expected  Uurr 
and  his  band  from  above,  a  British  fleet  from  below ;  and  he 
knew  there  was  a  formidable  conspiracy  within  the  city.  Under 
these  circumstances,  was  he  justifiable,  1st.  In  seizing  notorious 
conspirators  ?  On  this  there  can  be  but  two  opinions — one,  of 
the  guilty  and  their  accomplices;  the  other,  that  of  all  honest 
men.    2d.     Sending  them  to  the  seat  of  Government,  when  the 


i 


iH:-  ■!; 


.■1 


' 


,'« 


Mr  ■ 
I A 


m 
m 


i  i,:: 


318 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


written  law  gave  them  a  right  to  trial  in  the  Territory?  The 
danger  of  their  rescue ;  of  continuing  the  machinations ;  the 
tardiness  and  weakness  of  the  law;  apathy  of  the  judges  ;  active 
patronage  of  the  whole  tribe  of  lawyers ;  unknown  dispositions 
of  the  juries;  an  hourly  expectation  of  the  enemy;  salvation  of 
the  city,  and  of  the  Union  itself,  which  would  have  been  convulsed 
to  its  centre,  had  that  conspiracy  succeeded — all  these  constituted 
a  law  cf  necessity  and  self-preservation  ;  and  rendered  the  salus 
populi  supreme  over  the  written  law.  The  officer  who  is  called 
to  act  on  this  superior  ground  does,  indeed,  risk  liimself  on  the 
fusih'  f  'he  controlling  powers  of  the  Constitution;  and  his 
statioi.  js  it  his  duty  to  incur  that  risk.  But  those  controlling 
powers,  and  his  fellow-citizens  generally,  are  bound  to  judge  ac- 
cording to  the  circumstances  under  which  he  acted.  They  are 
not  to  transfer  the  information  of  this  place  or  moment  to  the 
time  and  place  of  this  action ;  but  to  put  themselves  into  his 
situation.  We  know  here  that  there  never  was  danger  of  a 
British  fleet  from  below ;  and  that  Burr's  b'"nd  was  crushed  bofore 
it  reached  the  Mississippi.  But  General  Wilkinson's  information 
was  very  difFerent ;  and  he  could  act  on  no  other. 

"  From  these  examples  and  principles,  you  may  see  what  I 
think  on  the  question  proposed.  They  do  not  go  to  the  case  of 
persons  charged  with  petty  duties,  where  consequences  are  trifling, 
and  time  allowed  for  a  legal  course ;  nor  to  authorize  them  to 
take  such  cases  out  of  the  written  law.  In  those,  the  example 
of  overleaping  the  law  is  of  greater  evil  than  a  strict  adherence 
to  its  imperfect  provisions.  It  is  incumbent  on  those  only  who 
accept  of  great  charges.,  to  risk  themselves  on  great  occasions, 
tvhen  the  safety  of  the  nation,  or  some  of  its  very  high  interests, 
are  at  stake.  An  officer  is  bound  to  obey  orders ;  yet  he  would 
be  a  bad  one  who  should  do  it  in  cases  for  which  they  were  not 
intended,  and  which  involved  the  most  important  consequences. 


^. 


I  i   ■  !■ 


;i 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


319 


ces. 


The  line  of  discrimination  between  cases  may  be  difficult.  But 
the  good  officer  is  bound  to  draw  it  at  his  own  peril,  and  throws 
himself  on  the  justice  of  his  country,  and  the  rectitude  of  his 
motives." 

Now,  sir,  viewing  ingenuously  the  whole  course  of 
General  Jackson  at  New  Orleans,  and  contrasting  the 
principles  involved  in  his  case  with  Judge  Hall,  with 
those  expressed  in  the  letter  of  President  Jefferson, 
could  any  man  doubt  that  the  General  rested  upon  the 
rectitude  of  his  intentions  and  the  justice  of  his 
country  ?  None,  sir — none  can  doubt  it.  The  almost 
entire  population  of  Louisiana  rose  to  sustain  and  honor 
him;  his  countrymen,  by  conferring  upon  him  the 
highest  mark  of  their  confidence,  have  approved  his 
every  act  at  New  Orleans ;  and  we  are  now  called  on 
to  render  to  him  an  act  of  justice — an  act  which  that 
venerated  statesman  and  patriot  warrior  of  the  Re- 
public believes  necessary  to  remove  from  the  page  of 
his  life  a  passage  which  the  decision  of  a  court  may 
have  blurred,  and  which  may,  by  possibility,  create  an 
injurious  doubt  as  to  the  rectitude  of  his  intentions,  in 
the  minds  of  some  w^hen  he  shall  rest  in  his  grave. 
The  country  has  manifested  its  confidence  in  his  up- 
rightness, by  bestowing  upon  him  the  highest  office  in 
J;he  gift  of  the  people — and  that  confidence  tliey  have 
never  had  cause  to  repent.  His  history  should  become 
familiar  to  the  youth  of  our  land  j  it  furnishes  one  of 


1# 


m 


320 


LIFE   OP   DR.    LINN. 


,fl 


I  . 


the  best  examples  by  Avhich  to  shape  their  course  as 
citizens  of  the  llepubUc;  and  presents,  in  the  most 
prominent  manner,  that  great  reward  which  is  extended 
to  honesty  of  purpose,  disinterested  love  of  country, 
and  persevering  efforts  to  promote  its  welfare — a  re- 
ward greater  than  that  which  has  ever  been  given  by 
any  other  country,  to  ^^"y  man,  for  like  virtues.  Though 
left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  these  virtues,  and  these 
eflPorts  alone,  unaided  by  wealth  or  by  connexions,  (for 
not  a  drop  of  his  blood  flows  in  the  veins  of  any  living 
creature,)  have  placed  him  at  the  head  of  our  most 
distinguished  citizens,  and  made  him  one  of  the  orna- 
ments of  our  young  Republic.  Oh,  sir,  he  is  a  noble 
production  of  our  glorious  political  institutions. 

In  reverting  to  the  question  before  the  Senate,  I 
would  remark,  that  the  declaration  of  martial  law,  by 
General  Jackson,  involved  all  the  consequences  to  which 
the  Senator  from  Louisiana  has  thought  proper  to 
allude. 

And  here  I  may  be  permitted  to  introduce  addi- 
tional facts,  to  demonstrate  the  necessity  of  the  measure. 
They  are  taken  from  the  answer  of  General  Jackson 
to  the  rule  of  the  court,  and  have  never  been  ques- 
tioned : 

"  If  examples  can  justify,  or  the  practice  of  others  serve  as  a 
proof  of  necessity,  the  respondent  has  ample  materials  for  his 
defence  ;  not  from  analogous  construction,  but  from  the  conduct 


as  a 
his 

kduct 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


321 


of  all  the  diflfercnt  departments  of  the  State  Government,  in  the 
very  case  now  un.ler  dicf^ussion. 

"  The  Legislature  of  the  State,  having  no  constitutional  power 
to  regulate  or  restrain  commerce,  on  the  —  day  of  December  last, 
passed  an  act  laying  an  embargo  ;  the  Executive  sanctioned  it ; 
and,  from  a  conviction  of  its  necessity,  it  was  acquiesced  in.  The 
same  Legislature  shut  up  the  courts  of  justice  for  four  months  to 
all  civil  suitors ;  the  same  Executive  sanctioned  that  law  ;  and 
the  judiciary  not  only  acquiesced,  but  solemnly  approved  it. 

"  The  Governor,  as  appears  by  one  of  the  letters  quoted,  un- 
dertook to  inflict  the  punishment  of  exile  upon  an  inhabitant 
without  any  form  of  law,  merely  because  he  thought  that  an  in- 
dividual's presence  might  be  dangerous  to  the  public  safety. 

"  The  judge  of  this  very  couH,  duly  impressed  with  the 
emergency  of  the  moment,  and  the  necessity  of  employing  every 
means  of  defence,  consented  to  the  discharge  of  men  committed 
and  indicted  for  capital  crimes^  without  bail,  and  without  recog- 
nizance ;  and  probably  under  an  impression  that  the  exercise  of 
his  functions  would  be  useless,  absented  himself  from  the  place 
where  his  court  was  to  be  holden,  and  postponed  its  session  during 
a  regular  term. 

"  Thus  the  conduct  of  the  legislative,  executive  and  judiciary 
branches  of  the  Government  of  this  State  have  borne  the  fullest 
testimony  of  the  existence  of  the  necessity  on  which  the  re- 
spondent relies. 

"  The  unqualified  approbation  of  the  Legislature  of  the  United 
States,  and  such  of  the  individual  States  as  were  in  session,  ought 
also  to  be  admitted  as  no  slight  means  of  defence,  inasmuch  as 
all  these  respectable  bodies  were  fully  apprised  of  his  proclama- 
tion of  martial  law,  and  some  of  them  seemed  to  refer  to  it,  by 

thanking  him  for  the  energy  of  his  measures." 
21 


*J 

j-LMMwtHfl 

ll 

i 

■1 

322 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


i  i:r 


■:  ? 


■  (:: 


What  an  extraordinary  picture  does  this  state  of 
facts  present !  Here  is  a  Governor  who  exiles  an  in- 
dividual on  suspicion  of  his  entertaining  dangerous 
designs — a  Legislature  laying  an  embargo  upon  the 
connnercc  of  the  country,  and  shutting  up  the  courts 
of  justice — and  a  judiciaiy  voluntarily  laying  aside  the 
ermine,  and  absenting  themselves,  to  avoid  the  perform- 
ance of  a  solemn  duty ;  and  this  directly  in  violation 
of  the  law  and  the  Constitution — and  all  these  events 
passed,  as  they  should — without  condemnation  from 
any  quarter ;  because,  where  virtuous  intentions  were, 
these  acts  were  most  virtuous ;  whilst  the  General  who 
had  the  courage  to  take  the  high  responsibility  of 
saving  his  country,  has  a  mark  of  disapprobation  set 
upon  him  by  a  member  of  this  very  judicial  tribunal 
which  had  evaded  the  performance  of  the  duties  im- 
posed upon  it  by  the  laws  and  the  Constitution ;  and 
you — you,  sir — hesitate  to  efface  it,  or,  departing  from 
all  precedent,  propose  to  attach  conditions  which  neither 
he  nor  his  friends  can  accept. 

The  gentleman  from  Louisiana  [Mr.  Conrad],  in 
his  allusions,  would  seem  to  desire  to  have  it  appear 
that  General  Jackson  continued  the  operation  of  the 
law  longer  than  was  absolutely  necessary.  There  was 
a  rumor  of  peace;  the  enemy  had  been  driven  from 
before  the  town ;  and  the  gentleman  thinks,  or  would 
have  us  infer,  that  the  rigor  of  the  martial  law  should 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


323 


I],  in 
Ippear 

Df  the 

^e  was 

from 

kvould 

lliould 


have  been  somewhat  relaxed.  For  what?  That  in- 
dividuals might  be  permitted  to  promote  a  little  dis- 
affection— to  raise  a  small  speck  of  hostility  against 
the  watchful  and  brave  veteran — to  give  a  slight  de- 
gree of  encouragement  to  the  poor  defeated  enemy — ■ 
and  to  be  permitted  to  do  this  by  publications  in  news- 
papers, by  handbills  stuck  upon  the  walls  of  the  town, 
or  in  any  other  peaceable  way  which  their  ingenuity 
might  suggest  ?  I  repeat,  the  declaration  of  martial 
law  involved  the  consequences  which  followed ;  and,  in 
regard  to  the  proceedings  of  Judge  Hall,  we  need  not 
waste  oiir  time  in  fine-spun  disquisitions  about  his 
writs,  his  arrest,  or  his  banishment  from  the  camp,  and 
imjmsonment  or  confinement  to  the  remaining  portion 
of  the  United  States  and  its  territories.  The  Judge, 
as  well  as  every  other  person  within  the  precincts  of  the 
camp,  were,  for  the  time,  subject  to  the  operation  of 
the  law.  When  he  issued  his  process,  in  order  to  take 
from  the  military  an  individual  who  had  been  arrested 
and  secured  for  the  purpose  of  preventixig  him  from 
giving  aid  to  the  enemy,  or  endangemig  the  safety  of 
the  coimtri/,  the  time  had  not  arrived  for  the  Judge  to 
assume  his  functions.  Prom  the  moment  of  its  adop- 
tion to  that  in  whch  it  ceased,  the  martial  law  was 
paramount ;  and  there  could,  under  such  circumstances, 
be  no  contempt  of  court.  If  there  was  any  contempt, 
it  was  a  contempt  committed  by  the  Judge  against  the 


■'  M 


:,  m 


m 


324 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


MS    ' 


ft  I 


necessarily  paramount  authority  which  existed  within  the 
precincts  of  the  camp — an  authority  created  by  the 
necessities  and  dangers  of  that  portion  of  the  country. 
And,  sir,  in  regard  to  the  intimation  tliat  General  Jack- 
son should  have  acted  upon  the  rumor  of  peace,  and 
immediately  relieved  his  camp  from  the  operation  of 
martial  law,  I  have  to  say,  that  the  fact  that  the  rumor 
was  suffered  to  pass  unheeded,  is  a  strong  and  convinc- 
ing evidence  not  only  of  his  capacity  to  connnand,  but 
of  his  ^i-'alumbering  vigilance,  and  his  entire  devotedness 
to  the  mfety  of  the  country  and  the  glory  of  its  anus. 
And  if  I  were  to  select  any  portion  of  his  eventfid  his- 
tory for  an  evidence  of  his  great  qualities  as  a  com- 
mander, it  would  be  that  which  represents  him  as  cast- 
ing to  the  winds  rumors  which  lulled  into  security  those 
about  him,  while  a  powerful  and  mortified  enemy, 
smarting  under  the  infliction  of  a  chastisement  which 
had  torn  from  their  brows  the  blushing  honors  which 
they  had  so  bravely  gathered  upon  the  fields  of  Eu- 
rope, were  crouching  within  a  single  bound  of  the  plain 
from  which  they  had  been  drive  ^,  and,  with  hot  blood 
and  braced  sinews,  were  eager  to  spring  upon  and  tear 
those  who  had  so  recently  humbled  them.  No,  sir ; 
none  of  the  attributes  which  marl,  the  character  of 
General  Jackson  could  subject  him  o  the  machinations 
of  the  enemy,  however  subtle.  Hi^^  vigilance  was  as 
untiring  as  his  honesty  was  incorruptible.     And  ap- 


P 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


325 


predating,  as  he  should,  the  x^ast  responsibility/  which 
rested  upon  hiin,  lie  Avas  not  to  be  diverted  from  his 
duty  by  a  rumor, — nothing  but  certainty  should,  or 
did  satisfy  him.  It  has  Ijeen  correctly  said  by  a  late 
distinguished  member  of  the  Senate,  that  the  post  held 
by  General  Jackson — the  outlet  of  the  Mississippi — 
was  more  important  than  any  other  in  our  vast  country ; 
and  so  long  as  that  noble  river  continued  to  bear  its 
vast  tribute  to  the  ocean,  so  long  would  the  defence 
of  New  Orleans  remain  one  of  the  brightest  pages  of 
our  countiy's  history. 

I  would  here  call  the  attention  of  the  Senate  to 
another  portion  of  the  answer  of  General  Jackson, 
touching  his  conduct  and  his  views  of  duty  after  the 
rumor  of  peace  had  reached  New  Orleans. 

"  He  thought  peace  a  probable,  but  by  no  means  a  certain 
event.  If  it  had  really  taken  place,  a  few  days  must  bring  the 
official  advice  of  it ;  and  he  believed  it  better  to  submit,  during 
those  few  days,  to  the  salutary  restraints  imposed,  than  to  put 
every  thing  dear  to  ourselves  and  country  at  risk  upon  an  uncer- 
tain contingency.  Admit  the  chances  to  have  been  a  hundred  or 
a  thousand  to  one  in  favor  of  the  ratification,  and  against  any 
renewed  attempts  of  the  enemy ;  what  should  we  say  or  think  of 
the  prudence  of  the  man  who  would  stake  his  life,  his  fortune, 
his  country,  and  his  honor,  even  with  such  odds  in  his  favor, 
against  a  few  days'  anticipated  enjoyment  of  the  blessings  of 
peace  ?  The  respondent  could  not  bring  himself  to  play  so  deep 
a  hazard ;  uninfluenced  by  the  clamors  of  the  ignorant  and  the 
designing,  he  continued  the  exercise  of  that  law  which  necessity 


fi 


I:;?: 


;'!' 


I  t 


326 


LIFE    OP   Dll.    LINN. 


Y^m, : 


'if 

! 


I 
I    I 


!  t, 


tn 


had  compelled  Lim  to  proclaim  ;  and  ho  still  thinks  himself  jus- 
tified,  by  the  situatiou  of  affairs,  for  the  course  which  ho  adopted 
and  pursued.  lias  ho  exercised  this  power  wantonly  or  im- 
properly ?  If  so  he  is  liable — not,  as  he  believes,  to  this  honor- 
able court  for  contempt,  but  to  his  Government  for  an  abuse  of 
power,  and  to  those  individuals  whom  he  has  injured,  in  damages 
proportioned  to  that  injury. 

"  About  the  period  last  described,  the  consul  of  Franco,  who 
appears  by  Governor  Claiborne's  letter,  to  have  embarrassed  the 
first  drafts,  by  his  claims  in  favor  of  pretended  subjects  of  his 
king,  renewed  his  interference ;  his  certificates  were  given  to  men 
in  the  ranks  of  the  army — to  some  who  had  never  applied,  and 
to  others  who  wished  to  use  them  as  the  means  of  obtaining  an 
inglorious  exemption  from  danger  and  fatigue.  The  immunity 
derived  from  these  certificates  not  only  thinned  the  ranks,  by  the 
withdrawal  of  those  to  whom  they  were  given,  but  produced  +he 
desertion  of  others,  who  thought  thomselvcs  equally  entit^  i 
the  privilege  ;  and  to  this  cause  must  be  traced  the  abandoi*  ..c 
of  the  important  post  of  Chef  Menteur,  and  the  temporary  refu- 
sal of  a  relief  ordered  to  occupy  it. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  to  remove  the  force  of  an  exam- 
ple which  had  already  occasioued  such  dangerous  consequences, 
and  to  punish  those  who  were  so  unwilling  to  defend  what  they 
were  so  ready  to  enjoy,  the  respondent  issued  a  general  order, 
directing  those  French  subjects  who  had  availed  themselves  of 
the  consul's  certificates  to  remove  out  of  the  lines  of  defence, 
and  far  enough  to  avoid  any  temptation  of  intercourse  with  our 
enemy,  whom  they  were  so  scrupulous  of  opposing.  This  mea- 
sure was  resorted  to,  as  the  mildest  mode  of  proceeding  against  a 
dangerous  and  increasing  evil ;  and  the  respondent  had  the  less 
scruple  of  his  power,  in  this  instance,  as  it  was  not  quite  so  strong 
as  that  which  Governor  Claiborne  had  exercised,  before  the  inva- 


'  r  fi 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


327 


Bion,  by  the  advice  of  his  attorney  general,  in  tlie  case  of  Col- 
onel Coliel. 

"  It  created,  however,  some  sensation;  discontents  were  again 
fomented,  from  the  source  that  had  first  produced  them.  Aliens 
and  strangers  became  the  most  violent  advocates  of  constitu- 
tional rights  ;  and  native  Americans  icere  taught  the  value  of 
their  privileges,  by  those  u'ho  formally  disavowed  any  tittj  to 
their  enjoyment.  The  order  was  particularly  opposed — in  an 
anonymous  publication.  In  this,  the  author  deliberately  and 
wickedly  misrepresented  the  order,  as  subjecting  to  removal  all 
Frenchmen  whatever,  even  those  who  had  gloriously  fought  in 
defence  of  the  country ;  and,  after  many  dangerous  and  unwar- 
rantable declarations,  he  closes,  by  calling  upon  all  Frenchmen 
to  flock  to  the  standard  of  their  consul — thus  advising  and  pro- 
ducing an  act  of  mutiny  and  insubordination,  and  publishing  the 
evidence  of  our  weakness  and  discoid  to  the  enemy,  who  were 
still  in  our  vicinity,  anxious,  no  doubt,  before  the  cessation  of 
hostilities,  to  wipe  away  the  late  stain  upon  their  arms.  To  have 
silently  looked  on  such  an  offence,  without  making  any  attempt  to 
punish  it,  would  have  been  a  formal  surrender  of  all  discipline, 
all  order,  all  personal  dignity  and  public  safety.  This  could  not 
be  done ;  and  the  respondent  immediately  ordered  the  arrest  of 
the  defender,  A  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was  directed  to  issue  for 
his  enlargement.  The  very  case  which  had  been  foreseen — the 
very  contingency  on  which  martial  law  was  intended  to  operate 
— had  now  occurred.  The  civil  magistrate  seemed  to  think  it 
his  duty  to  enforce  the  enjoj^ment  of  civil  rights,  altliough  the 
consequences  which  have  been  described  would  probably  have 
resulted.  An  unbending  sense  of  what  he  seemed  to  think  his 
station  required,  induced  him  to  order  the  liberation  of  the  pri- 
soner. This,  under  the  respondent's  sense  of  duty,  produced  a 
conflict  which  it  was  his  wish  to  avoid. 


1 1 


I        I 

'I 


^l%ii 


mii 


N 


•    '  ! 


i: ; !  :i 


i\' 


328 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


*'  No  other  course  remained  than  to  enforce  the  principles 
which  he  had  laid  clown  as  his  guide,  and  to  suspend  the  exer- 
cise of  this  judicial  power,  wherever  it  interfered  with  the  neces- 
sary means  of  defence.  The  only  way  off  (Ctually  to  do  this,  was 
to  place  the  Judge  in  a  situation  in  which  his  interference  could 
not  counteract  the  measures  of  defence,  or  give  countenance  to 
the  mutinous  disposition  that  had  shown  itself  in  so  alarming  a 
doi^ree.  Merely  to  have  disregarded  the  writ,  would  have  but 
incMased  the  evil;  and  to  have  obeyed  it,  was  wholly  repugnant 
to  the  respondent's  ideas  of  the  public  safety,  and  to  his  own 
sense  of  duty.  The  Judge  was,  therefore,  confined,  and  removed 
beyond  the  lines  of  defence." 


Jt'Si'  'HI 


li  I 

M.I, 


I'M 

'   V               1 

•  1  ;      ' 

■J  ,  j 

■  1  ■  ',1      I 

I  ,\     i; 

'ill''  ' 

While,  on  the  cnc  hand,  no  one  can  doubt  that,  in 
estabUshing  martial  Irw  at  New  Orleans,  General  Jack- 
son was  actuated  by  motives  of  duty  and  patriotism, 
and  while  it  cannot  and  will  not  be  denied  that,  in  all 
cases  in  which  our  military  officers  have  been  amerced, 
in  consequence  of  performing  a  duty  deemed  necessary 
and  proper,  we  have  extended  relief  to  them  in  the 
manner  now  prop  )sed, — we  are  not,  on  the  other  hand, 
required,  by  any  consistent  view  of  the  facts,  either  to 
censure,  to  exonerate,  or  to  applaud  Judge  Hall,  and 
whatever  may  be  my  views  of  his  course,  I  feel  that 
there  would  be  an  inconsistency  in  departing  from  all 
precedent  in  this  simple  act  of  justice  to  the  venerable 
patriot  now  standing  upon  the  verge  of  his  grave ;  and, 
therefore,  I  repeat,  I  do  not  desire  to  call  in  question, 
on  this  occasion,  the  conduct  of  the   Judge.     I   sin- 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


329 


cerely  hope  that  he,  too,  was  guided  by  a  desh'e  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  his  station ;  for,  in  view  of  the 
circumstances,  under  which  this  coiUsion  of  adverse 
authorities  occurred,  there  is  an  attractive  moral  gran- 
deur presented  in  the  idea  of  its  harmonious  adjustment. 

In  time  of  war,  how  numerous  are  the  instances 
where  our  commanding  officers  are  obUged,  by  the  force 
of  circumstances,  to  assume  a  high,  and,  unless  guided 
by  an  enlightened  discretion,  a  dangerous  responsi- 
bility !  And  in  all  cases,  where  they  have  kept  within 
the  limits  which  that  discretion  prescribes,  the  legisla- 
tive authority  has  interposed  its  arm,  and  saved  them 
from  harm.  Indeed,  I  cannot  recall  to  my  mind  a 
single  instance  where  compensation  has  been  withheld. 
But  it  is  urged  that  the  General  was  much  too  fond  of 
assuming  responsibilities.  Yes  :  his  whole  life  was  one 
continued  scene  of  acts  performed  for  the  benefit  of 
his  country — of  responsibilities  voluntarily  assumed  for 
its  glory  and  honor.  When  or  where  was  it  unwisely 
or  wickedly  assumed  ?  I  challenge  an  answer.  And  I 
may  here  be  permitted  to  name  an  instance  in  which 
General  Jackson  assumed  the  responsihilifi/,  which,  I 
doubt  not,  contributed  in  a  great  measure  to  the  glori- 
ous result  at  New  Orleans,  though  the  incident  occurred 
some  time  previous  to  that  event. 

In  the  autumn  of  1812,  a  portion  of  tlie  lY'nncs- 
see  volunteers,  under  General  Jackson,  were  dismissed 


:■  t 


1 


;!:   .Hi 


l! 


m 

:l| 

I 

m 

■:    % 


i 


u 


i 


m 


330 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


luii  h 


■ii  ,  i- 


,:!  I 


I    .WH 


at  Natchez,  to  which  place  they  had  been  ordered  for 
the  protection  of  the  lower*  country.  They  were  far 
from  their  homes  and  connections,  and  disbanded,  by 
the  order  of  the  Government,  without  arms,  or  rations, 
or  assistance  of  any  kind,  and  left  to  make  their  way 
back  through  a  wilderness  country — liable  to  sickness 
by  the  way,  and  attacks  from  hostile  Indians.  Under 
these  circumstances  it  was  that  the  General  assumed  the 
responsibility/,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  his  private  for- 
tune and  public  character,  of  supplying  them  with 
arms,  ammunition,  food,  and  as  many  horses  and 
wagons  as  sufficed  for  their  transportation.  Can  it  be 
doubted  that  this  provident  and  generous  act  of  the 
General  endeared  him  to  the  brave  Tennesseans,  and, 
in  1814,  made  them  prompt  to  respond  to  his  call  for 
volunteers  for  the  defence  of  New  Orleans  ?  Had  the 
dismissed  troops  at  Natchez,  in  1812,  been  forsaken 
by  him  in  tlieii'  distress,  as  they  had  been  by  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  left  penniless,  and  without  food,  far  from 
their  friends  and  homes,  can  any  one  suppose  that  they 
would  have  again  placed  themselves  under  a  commander 
who  had  thus  neglected  them  ?  No,  su* ;  they  would 
have  turned  in  disgust  from  a  service  where  devotion 
to  country  and  innumerable  hardships  were  repaid 
only  with  neglect  and  ingratitude  by  their  General  and 
their  country. 

I  would  also  call  attention  to  another  incident  in 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


331 


\.,i 


the  history  of  this  great  man — an  incident  which  shows 
that  he  possessed,  in  a  most  remarkable  degree,  a  trait 
of  character  Avhich  so  pecuharly  distinguishes  a  great 
warrior.  I  allude  to  the  incident  which  occurred  dur- 
ing the  Creek  war,  when  his  troops,  harassed  by 
fatiguing  marches,  and  iiTitated  by  scanty  food  and  the 
machinations  of  uneasy  spirits,  were  about  to  revolt 
and  leave  his  standard.  In  the  moment  of  suffering 
and  anger,  and  overlooking  their  duty  to  their  country, 
the}'  openly  refused  to  be  longer  detained  in  its  ser- 
vice; at  the  moment  they  were  about  to  abandon  him, 
he  seized  a  iimsket,  and,  placing  himself  before  the 
revolted  brigade,  one  thousand  five  hundred  strong,  told 
them  what  they  owed  to  their  country ;  and  declared 
that  he  would  slay  the  first  who  attempted  to  abandon 
his  duty;  they  might  fly  from  that  duty,  but  they 
should  only  do  so  by  passing  ovor  his  dead  body.  The 
troops,  convinced  by  his  steiii  -Joning,  mortified  at 
the  humbling  contrast  which  their  conduct  presented 
to  his,  and  admiring  the  devotion  and  finuncss  of  their 
commander,  returned  to  their  duty. 

Such  is  the  man  to  whom  we  are  called  on  noA\  to 
extend  justice — a  man  who  never  shrank  from  a  (iiity 
when  his  country's  good  demanded  its  performance — 
though  that  duty  involved  a  resjjonsibilit^  however  fear 
ful — though  it  may  have  required  him  to  lay  down  liis 
life.     For  his  devotion  to  his  country,  that  country  has 


332 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


1     i 


I 


1  ! 


honored  him — he  has  received  the  highest  honors  in  its 
gift ;  and  he  requiies  no  painting,  as  suggested  by  the 
Senator  from  Louisiana,  to  commemorate  his  public  ser- 
vices, or  to  perpetuate  in  the  bosom  of  his  countrymen 
the  gratitude  which  tn^e  patriotism  feels  towards  the 
true  patriot — a  gratitude  which  will  extend  through 
all  generations,  as  long  as  a  love  of  country  sliall  exist, 
and  his  deeds,  delineated  by  the  pencil  of  Truth,  shall 
remain  recorded  upon  the  page  of  history. 

If,  indeed,  historical  paintings  are  to  be  made,  in 
order  to  illustrate  the  character  of  General  Jackson,  I 
would  suggest  that  the  incident  to  which  I  have  just 
alluded  furnish  the  subject  for  one.  Let  him  be  shown 
standing,  unaided,  with  a  musket  in  his  hands,  sternly 
opposing  fifteen  hundred  angiy,  half-famished  men, 
and,  at  the  haziU'd  of  his  life,  checking  their  revolt,  and 
bringing  them  back  to  reason  and  duty.  This  would 
tend  to  exhibit  his  undaunted  courage,  his  firmness, 
and  his  unyielding  determination  in  the  discharge  of  a 
high  trust. 

I  would  also  point  to  another  trait  of  his  character 
— ^his  patient  hardihood  while  in  the  service  of  his 
country — proved  by  another  incident  in  the  Creek  war, 
which  could  be  made  tiie  subject  of  an  interesting 
painting,  and  would  represent  him  destitute  of  food, 
fatigued  by  marches  and  by  watchings,  and  supplying 
the  pressing  calls  of  hunger  by  the  acorns  which  he 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


333 


gathered  as  he  passed  under  the  forest  trees,  rather  than 
abandon  an  exposed  frontier  to  the  tomahawk  and 
scalping-knife  of  a  savage  and  remorseless  enemy.  If 
you  would  represent  him  as  the  friend  of  order  and  the 
protector  of  the  law,  and  at  the  same  time  exhibit  his 
magnanimity  of  soul,  place  upon  canvas  that  bright 
moment  of  his  history,  when,  at  New  Orleans,  he  bowed 
to  the  sentence  of  the  judge,  and,  while  with  one  hand 
he  yielded  an  unjust  penalty  to  the  demands  of  the  law, 
with  the  other  he  staid  the  angry  waves  of  popular 
commotion,  advancing  to  overwhelm  the  tribunal  by 
whom  the  penalty  was  exacted.  Would  you  commem- 
orate his  humanity  ?  Then  represent  him  in  his  tent, 
after  one  of  the  bloody  battles  with  the  Creeks,  taking 
charge  of  an  infant  Indian  boy,  found  upon  its  dead 
mother's  breast,  and  which  its  own  relations  advised 
should  be  knocked  on  the  head.  That  same  boy  who, 
nourished  on  the  food  of  the  camp  by  him  and  his 
officers,  and  watched  with  care  and  tenderness,  survived 
the  dangers  of  a  campaign — ^by  him  was  fostered  and 
educated — and,  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  died  in  the 
bosom  of  his  preserver's  family,  beloved  and  lamented. 
Can  the  whole  range  of  histoiy  furnish  a  picture  sur- 
passing this  in  moral  beauty  ? 

It  was  not,  sir,  my  intention  to  say  aught  that  would 
tend  to  arouse  the  political  antipathies  of  any  one,  or 
open  the  fountains  of  bitterness,  now  nearly  dried  up. 


-1 

w 


1*^ 


j:^ 


•■i  '!«' 
1   *fvi 


f- 


334 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


I  trust  I  have  not.  I  have  considered  the  question  be- 
fore the  Senate,  from  the  very  beginning,  as  one  which, 
of  all  otliers,  should  be  discussed  without  a  reference  to 
political  misunderstandings ;  and  for  the  reason,  that 
the  character  of  our  country  is  involved  in  the  manner 
of  its  discussion,  as  well  as  in  the  result.  For  it  does 
not  follow  that  those  who  were  opposed  to  General 
Jackson  during  his  political  or  civil  life,  are  called  on  to 
throw  obstacles  in  the  way  of  this  bill.  May  they  not 
Avith  candor  and  justice,  yield  their  support  to  it  ?  To 
me  it  seems  that  the  whole  case  lies  in  a  very  narrow 
compass : — a  case  which,  guided  alone  by  common 
sense  and  justice,  was  decided  upon  instantly  and 
correctly  by  the  whole  population  of  New  Orleans,  be- 
fore whose  eyes  all  the  circumstances  transpired.  This 
decision  has  been  confirmed  by  the  entire  country ;  and 
it  remains  only  for  us,  by  the  cold  act  of  justice  Avhich 
we  are  now  called  upon  to  perform,  to  confirm  this 
universal  verdict,  and  to  deprive  all  time  to  come  of  a 
vestige  of  the  wrong  which  has  been  done  hiii^ .  Aside 
from  the  imperative  duty  which  devolves  upon  us,  I 
would  ask  Senators  if  there  is  one  here  who  would 
hesitate  in  givhig  his  vote  for  this  bill,  were  it  hut  to 
cheer  the  heart  of  the  venerable  patriot,  and  render 
more  calm  his  last  moments,  by  the  reflection  that  the 
evidence  of  his  country's  confidence  and  justice  is  now 
entire  ?     Exalted  old  man !     Though  we  may  never 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


335 


again  look  into  those  eyes  which  never  winked  at 
clanger,  nor  behold  again  that  venerable  and  dignified 
form,  now  bending  with  the  load  of  years  over  the 
verge  of  eternity,  the  recollection  of  you,  or  your  glori- 
ous deeds,  can  never  be  effaced  from  our  memories ! 

How  many  precedents  we  have  to  direct  us  in  our 
duty ! — ^how  great  the  debt  which  would  urge  us  to 
adopt  them !  A  little  while  since  we  voted  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  to  the  family  of  General  Harrison,  as 
a  mere  donation.  Yet  a  little  while  more,  and  the 
greatest  light  of  the  land  will  be  set  in  the  gloom  of 
the  grave.  At  such  a  time,  and  under  such  circum- 
stances, ought  the  money  taken  from,  General  Jackson, 
without  trial,  by  the  decision  of  an  iiicensed  judge,  to 
be  withheld  ?  Not  that  he  has  asked  us  for  it,  or  wants 
it  as  a  pecuniary  aid ;  but  because  it  will  tend  to  smooth 
his  way  to  the  grave,  by  showing  that  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States  looked  upon  his  conduct  at  New 
Orleans  as  justifiable — ^liis  motives  as  pure — and  as  an 
example  to  future  generals  to  do  likewise  under  similar 
circumstances.  Let  gentlemen  refuse  this,  and  were  I 
disposed  to  make  that  refusal  a  political  question,  I 
would  take  in  one  hand  this  bill,  and  in  the  other  the 
act  giving  to  the  heirs  of  General  Harrison  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars ;  and,  going  before  a  grateful  peoi)le 
with  them,  could  any  one  doubt  what  would  be  the 
result?     No,  sir,  no.     General  Jackson  is  above  the 


% 


\  'A 


336 


LIFE    OF   DR.    LINN. 


",M 


charity  of  the  Senate,  as  he  is  beyond  its  praise  or 
blame  ;  neither  he  nor  his  friends  desire  any  thing  more 
than  justice  at  your  hands.  They  consider  your  trea- 
sury as  disgraced  while  it  retains  the  money  wrung  from 
him  in  the  performance  of  a  noble  duty  nobly  per- 
formed. Then  let  it  be  returned,  and  in  no  ungracious 
or  ambiguous  spirit ;  return  it  in  the  same  manner  as 
you  have  to  all  others  under  similar  cii'cumstances — 
even  to  your  humblest  custom-house  officers.  By  so 
douig,  you  win  avoid  the  imputation  that,  had  he  been 
less — much  less — in  the  eyes  of  the  world  than  he  is, 
your  justice  would  have  been  more  freely  dispensed." 


fi    'U. 


I   ' 


The  efforts  made  by  Dr.  Linn  to  procure  the  pas- 
sage of  the  bill  to  remit  General  Jackson's  fine,  were 
labors  of  love.  His  whole  heart  and  soul  were  in  it. 
Viewing  the  subject  in  the  light  that  he  did,  he  con- 
sidered the  fine  as  a  great  piece  of  injustice  inflicted 
upon  him,  and  that  this  injustice  had  been  suffered  to 
go  unremoved  and  unrebuked  for  a  long  period  of  time. 
General  Jackson  was  now  standing  on  the  verge  of  the 
gvave,  and  if  the  removal  of  what  he  considered  "  the 
only  obloquy  that  rested  on  his  name  "was  to  be  effected 
before  his  death,  so  as  to  afford  him  any  satisfaction,  it 
must  be  done  with  the  least  possible  delay.  Such  were 
the  motives  that  prompted  the  action  and  the  zeal  of  Dr. 
Linn.     They  were  hotiorable,  manly,  just  and  humane. 


iil! 


m\  '. 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


337 


To  do  justice  was  his  great  object ;  and  it  would  prob- 
ably have  been  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of  his  Hfe 
had  he  lived  a  few  months  longer,  when  th'3  bill  to 
remit  the  fine  became  a  law,  and  he  could  have  informed 
his  friend,  the  General,  that  the  fine  was  at  last  re- 
mitted, and  the  obloquy  resting  upon  his  name  had 
been  wiped  out  l)y  his  country's  own  hand  and  act. 
But  though  the  bill  passed  the  Senate  it  did  not  pass 
the  House,  at  that  time,  nor  become  a  law  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1844,  about  four  months  after  the  Doctor  had 
been  called  hence.  He  had,  however,  given  it  such  an 
impetus  by  advocating  it  with  so  much  zeal  and  earnest- 
ness, that  its  final  passage  was  undoubtedly  due  to  his 
efforts  in  endeavoring  to  effect  the  consummation  of  the 
measure. 

AVliat  General  Jackson's  feelings  were  towards  him 
on  account  of  the  part  he  had  taken,  will  be  seen  in 
the  following  letter  addressed  by  him  to  Mrs.  Linn  very 
soon  after  the  bill  had  passed  the  Senate,  every  sentence 
of  which  glows  with  warm  and  grateful  regard. 

Let te?' from  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  to  Mrs.  Linn. 

Hermitage,  June  14,  1842. 
My  Dear  Friend, — Although  very  feeble  in  health, 
I  cannot  refrain  from  dropping  you  a  few  lines  to  ex- 
press my  pleasure  and  gratitude  for  the  greatest  act  of 

friendship  that  I   ever  received,  which  has  been  be- 
22 


i 


\M 


W; 


v>  ■:\'x 


338 


LIFE   OF   DR.    LINN. 


'1:1 


11 


\M  '■ 


stowed  on  nic  l)y  your  dear,  patriotic  husband,  and  my 
faithful  and  kind  friend,  Dr  Linn,  in  the  late  hill  wliieh 
he  l)roup;ht  through  the  U.  S.  Senate,  indenniifying  ine 
in  discharging  my  official  duty  in  cstahlishing  martial 
law  in  the  City  of  New  Orleans,  when  called  there  to 
defend  it,  during  our  late  war  with  England.  The 
Doctor's  speech  in  my  behalf  to  the  Senate  on  this 
occasion  has  made  my  heart  overflow  with  gratitude  and 
love  to  him,  and  as  long  as  I  live  I  will  cherish  and 
revere  him  as  my  best  friend.  I  have  often  told  you 
and  the  Doctor  that  although  the  Eternal  One  had 
blessed  me  with  so  many  good  friends  and  dear  objects 
to  love,  that  I  sometimes  felt  very  desolate  when  I  re- 
flected that  not  a  drop  of  my  blood  flowed  in  the  veins 
of  one  of  the  human  family ;  and  all  that  I  had  to 
leave  mv  countrv  was  a  good  name.  And  how  can  I 
express  all  the  gratitude  I  feel  to  the  benefactor  who 
has  wiped  off  the  only  obloquy  that  I  thought  might 
rest  on  my  name  ?  You,  my  dear  Mrs.  Linn,  who  know 
me  so  well,  can  judge  of  my  deep  and  grateful  feelings 
towards  your  husband  for  this  noble  act  of  kindness  to 
me.  IIow  often  have  I  said  to  you  that  from  the  first 
moment  I  beheld  Dr.  Linn  I  felt  my  heart  drawn 
most  warmly  to  him.  I  have  written  to  him,  expressing 
my  great  desire  that  he  would  come  to  see  me,  and  to 
be  sure  to  bring  you  and  your  children  with  him.  I 
hope  that  your  little  daughter  looks  like  her  lovely  de- 


LIFE    OF    DR.    LINN. 


339 


parted  sister  Jane,  who  was  as  dear  to  lue  as  if  she  had 
been  my  own  cliild.  My  daughter  unites  with  uie  in 
much  h)ve  to  you  and  yoiu's,  and  sincerely  liopes  that 
you  aiul  tlie  Doctor  will  come  to  see  us  very  soon,  (jod 
bless  you  all. 

Your  attectionate  friend, 

Andrew  Jackson. 
To  Mrs.  E.  A.  R.  Linn. 

But  Dr.  Linn's  labors  did  not  cease  with  the  failure 
of  the  bill  at  the  time  the  foregoing  speech  was  de- 
livered. It  was  brought  forward  again  by  him  at  the 
next  session — 1812-'3,  when,  after  debate  in  the  Senate 
in  which  he  bore  a  conspicuous  part,  it  again  passed 
that  body,  February  28,  1843,  28  to  20,  but  failed  in 
the  House.  His  effort  on  this  occasion,  just  at  the  close 
of  the  last  session  of  the  27th  Congress,  and  the  last 
of  his  senatorial  career,  was  the  closing  act  of  his  pub- 
lic life.  Little  as  he  could  foresee  that  when  the  bill 
passed  the  Senate  his  pubic  labors  were  virtually  finished, 
it  can  scarcely  be  doubted  that,  could  the  fact  have  been 
known  to  him,  he  would  not  have  desired  that  any  other 
act  of  his  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  as  a  senator, 
should  have  been  his  opus  coronus.  Upon  the  passage 
of  the  bill,  had  the  future  been  revealed  to  him,  he 
would  have  said  to  senators  with  whom  he  had  been  so 
long  and  so  agreeably  associated,  "  ]\Iy  labors  are  now 


»:' 


J^ 


i( 


'^\\' 


rl 


:i 
}   ■ 


:  I, 


340 


LIFE   OF    DR.    LINN. 


closed.  I  liave  conscientiously  endeavored  to  perform 
my  duty  as  became  an  American  senator:  my  only 
guide  has  been  the  public  good :  I  have  endeavored  to 
be  just,  and  have  not  feared  to  be  so:  all  the  ends  1 
liave  ahiied  at  have  been  my  country's,  my  (lod's,  and 
tri.^h's.  The  destinies  of  our  beloved  country  are  in 
your  hands : — obey  the  Constitution  ;  preserve  the 
Union ;  may  it  be  perpetual :  may  it  grow  in  greatness  ; 
abound  hi  wise,  patriotic,  able  statesmen,  and  set  a 
noble  example  to  all  others  of  Justice,  Moderation, 
Wisdom,  Intelligence,  and  Virtue." 


Wl 


H 


'4 


r' 


APPENDIX. 


AV1&C().\SI\  AND  IOWA.  AND  OTIIEK 
COIiPOltATE  BODIES, 

o.v  THE  ocrAsiojf  of 

THE    DEATH    OF    DR.    L1N.\; 


,i    ft. 


LErrEK.s  or  coxdolexck  addkessed  to  mr,s.  linn,  from 

DISTINGUISHED   MEN,    ON   THAT   OCCASION. 


m 


r 

11  j  ; 

TRIBUTES  OF  Ui:SPi:CT 


U.  S.   SENATE.— December  12,  1843. 


rtiJl 


I:     ■' 


APPENDIX. 


Ji   •  I 


MEMOliY    OF    1)11.    L.    F.    LINN, 


vi  iiiillill^! 


The  journal  having  been  road  Mr.  Benton  rose  and 
said : 

Mr.  President,  I  rise  to  make  the  Senate  a  formal 
communication  of  an  event  wliieh  has  occurred  during  the 
recess,  and  has  been  lieard  by  all  Avith  ileep  regn't.  My 
colleague  and  friend,  the  late  Senator  Linn,  depai  ted  this 
life  on  Tuesday,  the  3d  day  of  October  last,  at  the  early 
age  of  forty-ciglit  years,  and  without  the  wariungs  or  the 
sufferings  which  usually  precede  our  departure  from  this 
world.  He  laid  him  down  to  slec])  and  awoke  no  more. 
It  was  to  him  tlie  sleep  of  deatli  !  and  the  only  droj)  of 
consolation  in  this  sudden  and  calamitous  visitati(ni  was, 
that  it  took  place  in  his  own  house,  and  that  his  uucon- 
Kcious  renuiins  were  immediately  surrounded  by  his  family 
and  friends,  and  received  all  the  care  anil  aid  which  love 
and  skill  could  give. 

I  discharge  a  mournful  duty,  Mr.  P)'es'"dcnt,  in  bringing 


lilii' 


:| 


Ul-i 


^  ♦'    \ 


'  'i 


It 


\\n 


!,  »■ 


li'^f 


,1 


ll!i 


I' 


344 


APPENDIX. 


his  deplorable  event  to  the  formal  notice  of  the  Senate  ; 
in  offering  the  public  tribute  of  my  applause  to  tlio  many 
virtues  of  my  deceased  colleague,  and  in  asking  for  his 
memory  the  last  honors  which  respect  and  affection  of  the 
Stniate  bestow  upon  tlie  name  of  a  deceased  brother. 

Lewis  Field  Linn,  the  subject  of  this  annunciation, 
was  ])orn  in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  in  the  year  1795,  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Louisville,  His  grandfather  was 
Colonel  William  Linn,  one  of  the  favorite  officers  of 
General  George  Rogers  Clarke,  and  well  known  for  his 
courage  and  enterprise  in  the  early  settlement  of  tlie  great 
West.  At  the  age  of  eleven,  he  had  fought  in  the  ranks 
of  men  in  the  defence  of  a  station  in  Western  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  was  seen  to  deliver  a  deliberate  and  effective  fire. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  to  navigate  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi from  Pittsburg  to  New  Orleans,  and  back  again — a 
daring  achievement,  which  himself  and  some  others  ac- 
complished for  the  public  service,  and  amidst  every  species 
of  danger,  in  the  year  1776,  He  was  killed  l)y  the  Indians 
'at  an  early  pcrio<l ;  leaving  a  family  of  young  children,  of 
whom  the  worthy  Colonel  William  Pope  (father  of  Gov. 
Pope,  and  head  of  the  numerous  and  respectable  family 
of  tliat  name  in  the  West)  became  the  guardian.  The 
father  of  Senator  Linn  was  among  these  children  ;  aiid, 
at  an  early  age,  skaiting  upon  the  ice  near  Louisville,  with, 
■hree  other  boys,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Shawanc. 
Indians,  carried  off  and  detained  captive  for  three  years, 
when  all  four  made  their  escajjc  and  returned  home  l)y 
killing  their  guard,  traversing  some  hundred  miles  of  wil- 
derness, and  swimming  the  Oliio  Eiver,  The  mother  of 
Senator  Linn  was  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth  ;  her  maiden 
name  Hunter  ;  born  at  Carlisle  ;  and  also  had  heroic 
blood  in  1  er  veins.  Tradition,  if  not  history,  preserves  the 
:  collection  of  lier  courage  and  conduct  at  Fort  Jefferson, 


APPENDIX. 


345 


t,. 


at  the  Iron  Banks  in  1781,  where  the  Indians  attacked 
and  were  repulsed  from  that  post.  Women  and  boys  were 
men  in  those  days. 

The  father  of  Senator  Linn  died  young,  leaving  this 
son  but  eleven  years  of  age.  T  ji.3  cares  of  an  elder  brother 
supplied  (as  far  as  such  a  loss  could  be  supplied)  the  loss 
of  a  father  ;  and  under  his  auspices  the  education  of  the 
orphan  was  conducted.  He  was  intended  for  the  medical 
profession,  and  received  his  education,  scholastic  and  pro- 
fessional, in  the  State  of  his  nativity.  At  an  early  age  he 
was  qualified  for  the  practice  of  medicine,  and  commenced 
it  in  the  then  Territory  now  State  of  Missouri ;  and  was 
immediately  amongst  the  foremost  of  his  profession.  In- 
tuitive sagacity  supplied  in  him  the  place  of  long  experi- 
ence ;  and  boundless  benevolence  concilin+od  universal 
esteem.  To  all  his  patients  he  was  the  same  ;  flying  with 
alacrity  to  every  call,  attending  upon  the  poor  and  humble 
as  zealously  as  on  the  rich  and  powerful,  on  the  stranger 
as  readily  as  on  the  neighbor,  discharging  to  all  the  duties 
of  nurse  and  friend  as  well  as  physician,  and  wholly  re- 
gardless of  his  own  interest  or  even  his  own  health,  in  his 
zeal  to  serve  and  to  save  others. 

The  highest  professional  honors  and  rewards  were  before 
him.  Though  commencing  on  a  provincial  theatre,  there 
was  not  a  capital  in  Europe  or  America  in  which  he  would 
not  have  obtained  the  first  rank  in  physic  or  surgery.  But 
his  fellow-citizens  perceived  in  his  varied  abilities  capacity 
and  aptitude  for  service  in  a  diflerent  walk.  He  was  called 
into  the  political  field  by  an  election  to  tlio  Senate  of  his 
adopted  State.  Thence  he  was  called  to  the  performance 
of  judicial  duties  by  a  federal  apjiointment  to  investigate 
land  titles.  Thence  he  was  called  to  the  high  fetation  of 
Senator  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States— first  by  an 
executive  appointment,  then  by  three  successive"  almost 


w 
Mm 

■    J'  '  ^ 

i  h  k 


%\ 


I 


ii:  ii.  ^ 


346 


APPENDIX. 


U.   !: 


if 


I  V' 


n\ 


i  '• 


!i 


unanimous  elections.  The  last  of  those  elections  he  re- 
ceived but  one  year  ago,  anil  had  not  commenced  his  duties 
under  it — had  not  sworn  in  um  or  the  certificate  which 
attested  it — wlien  a  sudden  and  premature  death  put  an 
end  to  his  earthly  career.  He  entered  this  body  in  the 
year  183.3,  death  dissolved  his  connection  wilh  it  in  1843. 
For  ten  years  he  was  a  beloved  and  distinguished  member 
of  this  body,  and  surely  a  nobler  or  a  finer  character  never 
adorned  the  chamber  of  the  American  Senate. 

He  was  my  friend,  but  I  speak  not  the  language  of 
friendslii})  when  I  spe.ak  his  jiraise.  A  vlebt  of  justice  is 
ail  that  I  can  attempt  to  ditcharge  :  an  imperfect  copy  of 
the  true  man  is  all  that  I  can  attempt  to  paint. 

A  sagacious  head  and  a  feeling  heart  were  the  great 
characteristics  of  })i.  Linn.  He  had  a  judgment  which 
penetrated  both  men  and  things  and  gave  him  near  and 
clear  views  of  far  distant  events.  He  saw  at  once  the 
bearing — tlie  remote  bearing  of  great  measures,  either  for 
good  or  for  evil,  and  brought  instantly  to  their  support  or 
opposition  the  logic  of  a  prompt  and  natural  eloquence 
more  beautiful  in  its  delivery  and  more  effective  in  its  ap- 
plication than  any  that  art  can  bestow.  He  had  great 
fertility  of  mind,  and  was  himself  the  author  and  mover 
of  many  great  measures — some  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole 
Union-  some  for  the  benefit  of  the  great  West — some  for 
the  benefit  of  his  own  State — many  for  the  benefit  of  in- 
dividuals. The  pages  of  our  legislative  history  will  bear 
the  evidences  of  these  meritorious  labors  to  a  remote  and 
grateful  jiosterity. 

Brilliant  as  were  the  qualities  of  his  head,  the  qualities 
of  his  heart  still  eclipse  them.  It  is  to  the  heart  we  look 
for  the  character  of  the  man  ;  and  what  a  heart  had 
Lewis  Linn  !  The  kindest,  the  gentlest,  the  most  feeling, 
and  the  most  generous  tliut  ever  beat  in  the  bosom  of  a 


APPENDIX. 


347 


bearded  man  !  And  yet,  when  the  occasion  required  it, 
the  bravest  and  the  most  daring  also.  He  never  beheld 
a  case  of  human  wo  without  melting  before  it,  he  never 
encountered  an  aj)parition  of  earthly  danger  without  giv- 
ing it  defiance.  Where  is  the  friend,  or  even  the  stranger, 
in  danger  or  distress  to  whoso  succor  he  did  not  fly,  and 
whose  sorrowful  or  perilous  case  he  did  not  make  his  own  ? 
When — where — was  he  ever  called  upon  for  a  service  or  a 
sacrifice  and  rendered  not,  upon  the  instant,  the  one  or  the 
other  us  the  occasion  required  ? 

The  senatorial  service  of  this  rare  man  fell  upon  trying 
times — high  party  times — when,  the  collisions  of  party  too 
often  embittered  the  ardent  feelings  of  generous  natures  ; 
but  who  ever  knew  bitterness  or  party  animosities  in  him  ? 
He  was,  indeed,  a  party-man — as  true  to  his  party  as  to 
his  friends  and  his  country  ;  but  beyond  the  line  of  duty 
and  of  principle — beyond  the  debate  and  the  vote — he 
knew  no  party  and  saw  no  opponent.  Who  among  us  all, 
even  after  the  fiercest  debate,  ever  met  him  without  meet- 
ing ^he  benignant  smile  and  the  kind  salutation  ?  Who 
of  us  all  ever  needed  a  friend  without  finding  one  in  him  ? 
Who  of  us  all  was  ever  stretched  upon  the  bed  of  sickness 
without  finding  him  at  its  side  ?  Who  of  us  all  ever 
knew  a  personal  difficulty  of  which  he  was  not,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  kind  composer  ? 

(Such  was  Senator  Linn  in  high  party  times  among  us. 
And  what  he  was  here  among  us  he  was  every  where  and 
with  every  body.  At  home  among  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors ;  on  the  high  road  among  casual  ac(iuain*ances  ;  in 
foreign  lands  among  strangers  ;  in  all  and  in  every  of 
these  situations  he  was  the  same  thing.  He  had  kindness 
and  sympathy  for  every  human  being  ;  and  the  whole 
voyage  of  liis  life  was  one  continued  and  benign  circum- 
navigation of  all  the  virtues  which  adorn  and  exalt  tho 


I    i 


1: 


■  !  i" 


I!  ': 


U.^ 


i    !• 


I'i 


'p: 


I:  ; 


348 


APPENDIX. 


character  of  man  ;  piety,  charity,  benevolence,  generosity, 
courage,  patriotism,  fidelity,  all  shone  cons})icuonsly  in 
him,  and  might  extort  from  the  beholder  the  imjjressive 
interrogatory.  For  u'hat  place  teas  this  man  made  ?  Was 
it  for  the  Senate  or  the  camp  ?  For  public  or  for  private 
life  ?  For  the  bar  or  the  bench  ?  For  the  art  which  lioals 
the  diseases  of  the  body,  or  that  which  cures  the  infirmi- 
ties of  the  State  ?  For  which  of  all  these  was  he  born  ? 
And  the  answer  is.  For  all.  He  Avas  born  to  fill  the  largest 
and  most  varied  circle  of  human  excellence  ;  and  to  crown 
all  these  advantages,  nature  had  given  him  what  the  great 
Lord  Bacon  calls  a  perpetual  letter  of  recommendation — 
a  countenance  not  only  good,  but  sweet  and  winning — 
radiant  with  the  virtues  of  his  soul — captivating  universal 
confidence  ;  and  such  as  no  stranger  coidd  behold — no 
traveller,  even  in  the  desert,  could  meet,  without  stopping 
to  reverence,  and  saying  :  Here  is  a  man  in  whose  hands 
I  could  deposit  my  life,  liberty,  fortune,  honor.  Alas  ! 
that  so  much  excellence  should  have  perished  so  soon ! 
that  such  a  man  should  have  been  snatched  away  ajt  the 
early  age  of  forty-eight,  and  while  his  faculties  were  still 
ripening  and  developing  ! 

In  the  life  and  character  of  such  a  man,  so  exuberant 
in  all  tliat  is  grand  and  beautiful  in  human  nature,  it  is 
difficult  to  particularize  excellencies  or  to  pick  out  any  one 
quality  or  circumstance  which  could  claim  pre-eminence 
over  all  others.  If  I  should  attempt  it,  I  should  point, 
among  his  measures  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  Union,  to 
the  Oregon  bill  ;  among  his  measures  for  the  benefit  of 
his  own  State,  to  the  acquisition  of  the  Platte  coimtry  ; 
among  his  private  virtues  to  the  love  and  affection  which 
he  bore  to  that  half-brother — the  half-brother  only — who, 
only  thirteen  years  older  than  himself,  had  been  to  him 
the   tenderest  of  fathers.     For  twenty-nine  years  I  had 


I  V.', 


APPENDIX. 


349 


'•fl 


known  the  depth  of  tliat  affection,  and  never  saw  it  hum 
more  brightly  than  in  our  last  interview,  only  three  weeks 
hefore  his  death.  He  had  just  travelled  a  thousand  miles 
out  of  his  way  to  see  that  brother  ;  and  his  name  was  still 
the  dearest  theme  of  his  conversation — a  conversation, 
strange  to  tell  !  which  turned,  not  upon  tlic  empty  and 
fleeting  subjects  of  the  day,  but  upon  things  solid  and 
eternal — upon  friendship  and  upon  death,  and  upon  the 
duties  of  the  living  and  the  dead.  He  spoke  of  two  friends 
whom  it  was  natural  to  believe  that  he  should  survive,  and 
to  whose  memories  he  intended  to  pay  the  debt  of  friend- 
ship. Vain  calculation !  Vain  impulsion  of  generosity 
and  friendship  !  One  of  these  two  friends  now  discharges 
that  mournful  debt  to  him  ;  the  other  [General  Jackson] 
has  written  me  a  letter,  expressing  his  "  deep  sorroio  for 
the  untimelT/  death  of  our  friend,  Dr.  Linn." 

Mr.  Benton  then  moved  the  usual  resolutions  of  re- 
spect. 

Mr.  Crittenden  then  rose  and  said  :  I  rise,  Mr. 
President,  to  second  the  motion  of  the  Hon.  Senator  from 
Missouri,  and  to  express  my  cordial  concurrence  in  the 
resolutions  he  has  offered. 

The  highest  tribute  of  our  respect  is  justly  due  to  the 
honored  name  and  memory  of  Senator  Linn  ;  and  there 
is  not  a  heart  here  that  does  not  pay  it  freely  and  plcnte- 
ously.  These  resolutions  are  but  responsive  to  the  general 
feeling  that  })revails  throughout  the  land,  and  will  afford 
to  his  widow  and  his  orphans  the  consolatoiy  evidence 
that  their  country  shares  their  grief,  and  mourns  for  their 
bereavement. 

I  am  very  sensible,  Mr.  President,  that  the  very 
appropriate,  interesting,  and  eloquent  remarks  of  the 
Senator  from  Missouri  (Mr.  Benton)  have  made  it  difh- 
cult  to  add  any  thing  that  will  not  impair  the  cflect  of 


'  ml  ■  I 


im 


:       ih 


i  m 


I  I 


350 


APPENDIX. 


iil- 


wliiit  he  lias  said  ;  but  I  must  beg  the  indulgence  of  the 
Senate  for  a  few  moments.  Senator  Linn  was  by  ))irth  a 
Kentuckian,  and  my  countryman.  I  do  not  dispute  the 
claims  of  Missouri,  his  adojjted  State  ;  but  I  wish  it  to 
be  remembered,  that  I  claim  for  Kentucky  the  honor  of 
his  nativity  ;  and  by  the  great  law  that  regulates  such 
precious  inheritances,  a  i)ortion,  at  least,  of  his  fame  must 
descend  to  his  native  land.  It  is  the  just  ambition  and 
right  of  Kentucky  to  gather  together  the  bright  names  of 
her  children,  no  matter  in  what  lands  their  bodies  may  be 
buried,  and  to  preserve  them  as  her  jewels  and  her  crown. 
The  name  of  Linn  is  one  of  her  jewels  ;  and  its  pure  and 
unsullied  lustre  shall  long  remain  as  one  of  her  richest 
ornaments. 

The  death  of  such  a  man  is  a  national  calamity. 
Lono:  a  distinguished  member  of  this  bodv,  he  was  con- 
tinually  rewarded  with  the  increasing  confidence  of  the 
great  State  he  so  honorably  represented ;  and  his  reputa- 
tion and  usefulness  increased  at  every  step  of  his  progress. 

In  the  Senate  his  death  is  most  sensibly  felt.  We 
have  lost  a  colleague  and  friend,  whose  noble  and  amiable 
qualities  bound  us  to  him  as  Avith  "  hooks  of  steel." 
Who  of  us  that  knew  him  can  forget  his  open,  frank,  and 
manly  bearing — that  smile,  that  seemed  to  be  the  pure, 
warm  sunshine  of  the  heart,  and  the  thousand  courtesies 
and  kindnesses  that  gave  a  "  daily  l)eauty  to  liis  life  ?  '' 

He  possessed  a  high  order  of  intellect ;  was  resolute, 
courageous,  and  ardent  in  all  his  pursuits.  A  decided 
party  man,  he  partici])ated  largely  and  cons]ncuously  in 
the  business  of  the  Senate  and  the  conflicts  of  its 
debates  ;  but  there  was  a  kindliness  and  benignity  about 
him,  that,  like  polished  armor,  turned  aside  all  feelings  of 
ill-will  or  animosity.  He  had  political  opponents  in  the 
Senate,  but  not  one  enemy. 


APPENDIX. 


351 


The  good  and  generous  qualities  of  our  nature  were 
blended  in  liis  character  ; 


-nnd  the  cleinpnts 


So  mixed  in  liim,  that  Nature  might  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world — This  ictt3  a  man." 


.*■■■'■  1 1 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 

A  message  from  the  Senate,  announcing  tlie  death  of 
Dr.  Linn,  having  been  received, 

Mr.  BowLiN,  of  Missouri,  rose  and  addressed  the  House 
as  follows  : 

I  rise  with  no  ordinary  emotions — occasioned,  par- 
tially by  the  novelty  of  my  own  position ;  but  more , 
much  more,  by  the  recollection  of  the  painful  and  melan- 
choly event  which  now  demands  the  tril)ute  of  our  grief. 
It  is,  indeed,  a  jiainful,  a  most  painful  event  to  me  ;  and 
one  calculated,  from  its  associations,  to  spread  the  gloom 
of  melancholy  over  the  councils  now  assembled.  We 
have  convened  here  for  the  discharge  of  our  public  duties, 
and  Ave  look  around  us  in  vain  for  all  those  com])anions  in 
our  labors  whom  we  were  wont  to  have  met.  The  hand 
of  Death,  inexorable  Death,  has  been  amongst  us. — In 
the  other  end  of  the  Cajiitol,  a  seat  is  vacated  ;  ah  ! 
vacated,  and  that  for  ever.  The  heart  of  its  occupant, 
which  in  life  ever  beat  responsive  to  the  calls  of  charity 
and  humanity,  now  beats  no  more ;  and  the  tongue, 
Avhosc  patriotic  eloquence  has  charmed  the  Senate,  is  now 
stilled  by  the  dull,  cold  hand  of  Death. 

The  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  late  Senator  from  Missouri, 
as  announced  by  the  resolutions  on  your  table,  is  no  more. 
He  died  suddenlv  at  his  residence  in  St.  Genevieve,  on 


\  M 


iiM 


352 


APPENDIX. 


the  3d  (lay  of  October  last,  just  as  he  was  prei)arinf]j  to 
leave  for  tliis,  the  field  of  his  distinguished  labors.  The 
luanuer  of  his  death  was  peculiarly  afllieting  to  his 
friends.  It  was  as  sudden  as  it  was  unexpected.  In  the 
midst  of  life  and  usual  health — with  no  note  of  warniu"' 
to  his  friends — witlout  the  usual  premonitory  symptoms 
— without,  perhai)s,  an  admonition  to  himself — in  the 
midst  of  his  family  and  friend'*-  and  in  the  mid  career 
of  his  usefulness  and  honor,  he  is  suddenly  sunnuoned 
from  us  to  that  land  of  spirits  where  "  the  weary  are  at 
rest." 

Having  spent  a  restless  and  sleepless  night,  he  had  the 
curtains  of  the  bed  drawn  to  secure  to  him  a  morning's 
repose.  He  fell  into  a  sleep,  a  profound  sleej),  from  which 
he  never  awoke.  And  though  his  couch  was  watclied 
with  the  aleepless  eye  of  affectionate  devotion,  sei)arated 
only  l)y  a  curtain,  yet  his  spii ,  [)assed  away  so  calm,  so 
tranquil,  that  it  was  difficult  to  tell  the  precise  moment 
of  its  flight.  But  though  he  died  with  no  eye  upon  him, 
save  that  of  his  God,  yet  the  mildness  and  serenity  of  his 
countenance  proclaimed  the  consolation  to  his  friends, 
trumi)et-tongued,  that  he  departed  in  peace,  and  M'ith 
scarce  a  struggle. 

Of  his  life  :  It  was  one  continued  scene  of  uniformity 
and  beauty.  But  I  will  not  trespass  upon  the  province 
of  his  biographer,  further  than  to  touch  some  of  its 
prominent  points.  He  was  born  in  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky in  the  year  1795,  and  inherited  from  that  chival- 
rous and  gallant  people  many  of  the  noble  qualities  that 
adorned  him  in  after  life.  In  the  year  1809 — a  mere  boy 
— he  emigrated  to  Missom'i,  and  cast  liis  fortune  among  a 
people  eager  to  discern,  and  proud  to  reward  merit.  In 
1814,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  entered  the  tented 
field,  and,  side  by  side  with  a  near  and  esteemed  relative, 


APPENDIX. 


353 


now  an  honorable  member  of  this  House,  (Gov.  Dodge,) 
was  engaged  gallantly  fighting  the  battles  of  his  country  ; 
and  though  a  youth,  too  young  to  have  his  deeds  chroni- 
cled in  history,  yet  the  memory  of  them  is  cherished  in 
the  hearts  of  the  jjeople  of  his  adopted  State. 

After  the  war  he  applied  himself  to  the  acquisition  of 
his  profession  ;  and  by  the  Ibrce  and  energy  of  his  mind 
and  his  well-regulated  habits  of  industry,  soon  placed 
himself  in  the  front  ranks  of  tliat  learned  and  honorable 
profession.  As  a  physician  he  was  prompt  and  deter- 
mined, yet  mild,  courteous,  and  cheerful ;  by  the  versa- 
tility of  his  genius  throwing  around  the  couch  of  sickness 
and  death  every  thing  to  inspire  hope  and  dispel  gloom. 
No  man  was  ever  more  highly  esteemed  or  more  dearly 
loved  within  the  circle  of  his  practice.  Long,  long, 
will  the  memory  of  his  virtues  bo  engraven  on  the  hearts 
of  those  people  who  knew  him  longest,  and  knew  him 
best. 

He  was  next  called,  by  the  people  of  his  county,  to 
the  Legislature  of  his  adopted  State,  where,  in  a  short 
session,  he  gave  early  promise  of  that  character  as  a  legis- 
lator, which  has  since  so  brilliantly  shone  in  the  councils 
of  the  nation.  His  career  there  was  marked  by  an 
enlightened  policy,  a  lofty  patriotism,  and  a  firm  and  un- 
swerving devotion  to  those  fundamental  principles  upon 
which  he  believed  was  based  the  liberty  of  his  country. 
The  generous  confidence  of  his  constituents  was  only 
equalled  by  the  disinterested  fidelity  of  the  representative, 
in  executing  the  trusts  committed  to  his  charge. 

In  1832,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  board  of  com- 
missioners to  adjust  the  private  land  claims  of  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  Upper  Louisiana,  (now  Missouri.)  To  the 
discharge  of  the  complicated  duties  of  this  office  he 
brought  a  mind  well  stored  with  information  upon  the 
23 


if' 


If-     ■* 


15' 


354 


APPENDIX. 


;f:'  ] 


t|..: 


mil))cct,  and  an  oncrpjy  that  never  flagged.  In  this  place 
ho  acc()mi)liHhed  imich,  in  settling  the  vexed  questions  of 
titles  to  our  lauds,  and  hy  the  suavity  of  his  nianners,  and 
the  luiiforni  urbanity  of  liis  demeanor,  Won  from  all  the 
homage  of  an  exalted  respect.  Indeed,  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  portray  the  veneration  in  which  liis  memory  is  liold 
by  thoi&e  early  first  pioneers  of  the  country  who  laid  in  the 
wildernoss  the  foundation  of  a  great  republic. 

If  it  were  allowable,  upon  an  occasion  of  this  kind,  to 
speak  of  one's  self,  I  might  be  permitted  to  say  that  it 
was  at  this  period  of  his  life,  I  had  the  good  fortune  to 
make  his  acriuaintance,  and  establish  a  mutual  friendship 
which  existed  through  life.  A  stranger  in  a  strange  land, 
he  extended  to  me  the  hand  of  fellowship  and  welcome, 
and  encouraged  me  by  his  counsels,  and  animated  me  l)y 
the  buoyancy  of  his  own  generous  heart.  A  few  weeks 
changed  our  then  relative  positions — he  to  the  Senate,  1 
to  the  editor's  chair  ;  and  it  is  due  to  his  memory  to  say, 
that  change  of  position  worked  no  change  of  relations  ; 
and  i  can  as  i)roudly  bear  testimony  that,  whilst  acting  as 
a  sentinel  upon  the  acts  of  public  men,  I  found  in  his 
career  every  thing  to  applaud,  nothing  to  condemn. 

Doctor  Linn  was  appointed  to  the  Senate  in  Novem- 
ber, 1833,  and  continued  in  that  station  until  the  period 
of  his  death — an  uninterrupted  period  of  nearly  ten 
years  ;  during  which  time  he  passed  through  three  elec- 
tions before  tbe  Legislature  of  Missouri,  each  time  increas- 
ing in  strength,  as  he  increased  in  the  confidence  of  the 
people.  He  entered  that  body,  of  which  he  was  destiiu'd 
to  become  so  distinguished  a  member,  laboring  under 
many  disadvantages,  arising  alike  from  education  and 
from  habits.  The  angry  ocean  of  party  politics  he  found 
lashed  into  a  commotion  the  most  furious  ;  the  Senate 
filled  with  men  of  gigantic  minds,  cultivated  intellects, 


r'3' 


ii  place 
Loiis  of 
LTS,  aiul 
all  the 
30  diffi- 
r  is  liold 
d  in  tlic 

kind,  to 
^  that  it 
jvtunc  to 
liendsliip 
nge land, 
welcome, 
ed  me  by 
ew  weeks 
Senate,  1 
•ry  to  say, 
relatittns  ; 
acting  aK 
lid  in  his 
Hn. 

Kovem- 
|the  period 
yearly   ten 
ihrec  clec- 
iie  increas- 
icc  of  the 
s  destined 
ing  under 
ation   and 
s  he  found 
|he   Senate 
intellects, 


APP7.ND1X. 


355 


and  a  long  experience  in  legislation  ;  and,  to  crown  all,  so 
much  possessed  of  feelings  which  political  animosities  had 
engendered  as  to  render  personal  and  social  intercourse 
difficult  and  constrained.  Yet,  hy  his  evenness  of  temper 
and  firnmoss  of  purpose,  comhined  with  his  social  disposi- 
tion and  urbanity  of  manners,  he  soon  acquired  u  most 
enviable  resi)ect  from  those  with  whom  he  had  to  act. 

Of  his  general  labors  in  the  Senate,  and  the  enlight- 
ened patriotism  that  directed  them,  the  archives  of  the 
country  bear  abundant  testimony.  On  all  local  subjects 
he  lal)ored  faithfully  and  efficiently  for  his  immediate  con- 
stituents. His  luiabated  efforts  in  obtaining  post  roads, 
forts,  and  military  roads  upon  the  frontier  ;  the  acquisi- 
tion of  the  Platte  country  ;  the  improvement  of  our 
rivers  and  harbors  ;  the  adjustment  of  the  land  claims  of 
the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Upper  Louisiana,  bear  witness 
to  the  peojjle  of  Missouri  of  the  zeal  and  fidelity  of  him 
whoso  loss  they  so  sadly  deidore. 

But  the  great  question  which  called  forth  all  the  ener- 
gies of  his  mind  was  the  occupation  of  the  Oregon  Terri- 
tory. Looking  at  the  subject  with  a  prophetic  spirit,  and 
the  eye  of  a  statesman,  he  saw,  in  the  distance,  the  tima 
when  that  beautiful  land  of  hill  and  dale,  of  mountain 
breeze  and  crjstal  stream,  should  bloom  and  blossom  as 
the  rose,  beneath  Llio  cheerful  hand  of  industry  ;  and  he 
struggled  hard  to  plant  alike  on  the  beautiful  plains  the 
American  citizen  and  the  American  flag.  This  was  the 
great  work  to  which  he  had  for  years  devoted  all  the  ener- 
gies of  his  soul ;  and,  without  repining  at  the  awards  of 
Providence,  we  all  must  regret,  seriously  regret,  that  he 
was  not  spared  to  witness  its  accomplishment.  But  he 
has  left  it  for  others  to  perform,  with  his  own  great  eiForts 
as  beacon  lights  to  guide  them  on  their  way,  and  associ- 
ated with  the  cause  of  Oregon  the  glory  of  a  name. 


i„ 


( 

4   4 


5'  \ 

I,    1 


\ 


;    I  ! 


>i 


356 


APPENDIX. 


"  A  light,  a  land-mark,  on  the  clifTs  of  fame." 


i'l 


J.!!' 


But  he  is  gone  ;  and  while  we  deplore  his  loss,  let  \is 
not  be  unmindful  of  those  who  arc  left  to  mourn— ah! 
deeply  mourn,  a  husband's  anJ  a  father's  death.  Who 
can  assuage  their  grief?  Who  )))uck  the  rooted  sorrow 
from  their  hearts  ?  He  alone  who  "  tempers  the  winds  to 
the  shorn  lamb."  To  His  mercy  and  Divine  protection 
we  most  Inunbly  commend  them. 

Resolved  unanimo^isly ,  That,  as  a  testimony  of  respect 
for  the  memory  of  the  Hon.  L.  E.  Linn,  deceased,  the 
members  of  tliis  House  will  wear  the  usual  badge  of 
mourning  for  thirty  days ;  and  tliat  the  House  do  no'.s' 
adjourn. 

So  the  resolution  was  agreed  to. 

And  the  House  adjourned. 


L!^GISLATURE  OF  IOWA. 

Mr.  Foley,  the  attentive  and  worthy  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  from  Jackson  County,  j)resented 
the  following  resolutions,  which  passed  the  House  unani- 
mously on  the  19th  instant,  and  wore  concurred  in  by  tlic 
Council  on  the  20th. 

Resolved,  by  tlie  Council  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  That  each  member  of  the 
respective  H^nises  be  requested  to  wear  crape  on  the  left 
arm  for  the  space  of  30  days,  as  a  testimony  of  respect  to 
the  memory  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  late  a  Senator  of 
the  United  States  from  the  State  of  Missouri. 

Resolved,  That  we  respectfully  tender  the  bereaved 
and  afflicted  family  of  the  distinguished  statesman,  the 


Ml'       'i 


APPENDIX. 


357 


assurances  of  our  sympathy  and  condolence,  and  that  a 
copy  of  these  Kesolutions  lie  forwarded  to  tlie  widow  of 
the  deceased  by  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives and  the  President  of  the  Council. 

During  the  pendency  before  the  House  of  the  firegoing 
resolutions,  Mr.  Rogers  from  Dubuque  arose  and  made  the 
following  ])rief  and  appropriate  remarks  : 

Mr.  Speaker : — I  hope  the  Resolution  of  my  friend 
from  Jackson,  will  pass  without  a  dissenting  vote.  They 
are  an  appropriate  tribute  of  rotipcct  to  the  memory  of  a 
much  lamented  and  distinguished  public  man. 

Dr.  Linn  was  the  warm  and  devoted  friend  of  this 
Territory.  His  zeal,  on  all  occasions,  in  our  behalf,  won 
for  him  the  name  of  the  "  Iowa  Senator,"  and  our  citizens 
will  not  soon  forget  the  services  which  rendered  the  appel- 
lation deserved.  His  loss  is  nearly  as  severely  felt  by  us, 
as  by  his  own  State.  Cut  down  in  the  vigor  of  life — in 
the  midst  of  liis  usefulness — with  grcnt  and  glorious 
projects  iii)on  his  hands  unfinished  ;  drojtping  from  the 
theatre  of  his  brilliant  cii'^  patriotic  labors,  and  from  com- 
panions that  loved  and  admired  him,  like  an  orb  suddenly 
shaken  from  the  heavens.  He  has  gone  to  the  grave  fol- 
lowed by  the  universal  regrets  and  sorrows  of  the  whole 
people  of  the  Great  West. 

Death  should  terminate  all  animosities.  I  hopt  on 
this  occasion,  we  will  sink  the  partisan  into  the  patriot, 
and  remember  that  we  are  Americans,  having  a  deep  and 
abiding  interest  in  the  character  of  our  public  men — their 
fomc  is  our  moral  inheritance — let  us  cherish  it  with 
patriotic  pride. 

Mr.  Speaker,  I  had  but  a  word  to  say.  I  believe  that 
the  ado])ti()n  of  these  resolutions  will  have  a  good  effect 
upon  the  living — encouraging  them  in  the  faitlifiil  dia- 


i    i 


.  +i' '"' 


I  f 


358 


APPENDIX. 


i 


^ 


1-3 'I  I. 

I 


f''l 


i'4.' 


charge  of  their  duties,  and  at  the  Bame   time  evince  a 
deserved  respect  for  departed  vrortii. 

HOUSK  OF    RkI'RESESTATIVES, 

loiva  City,  Jan.  4th,  1844. 
To  Mrs.  Lewis  F.  Linn. 

Madain, — In  pursuance  to  the  order  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  this  Territory,  we  herewith  inclose  you  a  copy  of 
a  Joint  Resolution  passed  by  the  same,  in  testimony  of 
respect  to  your  dei)artod  husband. 

In  connection  therewith,  we  trust  it  will  not  be  im- 
proper for  us  to  say,  that  though  dead,  he  will  long  live  in 
the  memory  of  the  Citizens  of  this  Territory.  Time 
cannot  oftace  the  remembrance  of  ser\dces  like  his — and 
in  their  love  his  memory  will  find  "  a  monument  more 
lasting  than  brass." 

Allow  us  furthermore,  to  assure  you.  Madam,  that  you 
mourn  not  alone,  over  the  loss  of  one,  so  gifted,  and  whose 
promise  of  extended  usefulness,  was  so  fair.  Though  lie 
fell  in  the  midst  of  his  unfinished  plans,  the  whole  West, 
whose  champion  he  was,  feels  that  it  has  lost  its  ablest 
defender  and  its  most  zealous  and  untiring  advocate. 

That  he  died  universally  regretted,  and  after  a  well- 
spent  life,  are  not,  however,  we  feel  assured,  the  only 
sources  of  consolation  to  you.  Religion  presents  lioi 
soothing  and  consoling  influence.  She  points  to  a  higher 
and  nobler  sphere  of  enjoyment,  and  she  tells  of  a  hoher 
union,  hereafter,  of  the  lovod  ones  that  have  separated 
upon  earth.  May  you  in  eternity  enjoy  that  union,  with 
the  husband  who  has  been  thus  suddenly  and  unexpect- 
edly called  away. 


APPENDIX. 


359 


With  s(  ntiment,?  of  respect  and   esteem  we   remain 
your  obedient  servants, 

James  P.  Carleton, 
Speaker  of  House  of  Representatives. 
Francis  Springer, 
President  of  the  Council, 


0 


1  ^ 

•lit  ii 


LEGISLATUEE  OF  WISCONSIN. 


The  proceedings  of  tlie  Legislature  relative  to  the 
death  of  Dr.  Linn,  were  duf^  to  the  memory  of  the 
deceased,  for  the  solieitadc  which  he  ever  manifested  for 
the  welfare  of  this  Territory,  as  well  as  for  the  benefits 
which  it  has  derived  from  his  labors. 

Tlic  remarks  of  Mr.  Strong  of  Wisconsin,  as  well  as 
the  sentiments  embodied  in  his  resolutions,  will  be  re- 
sponded to  by  every  citizen  who  has  no^ed  the  official 
course  of  the  truly  upright  and  generous  Statesman  to 
whose  memory  they  are  offered. 

Mr.  Strong  of  Wisconsin  rose,  to  offer  certain  resolu- 
tions, and  prefaced  their  introduction  with  the  following 
remarks. 

Mr.  President — I  rise  for  the  purpose  of  asking  leave 
of  the  Council  to  oiler  certain  joint  resolutions,  expressing 
the  great  regret  which  the  Legislative  Assembly  feels  for 
the  death  of  that  great  and  good  man,  Lewis  F.  Linn, 
late  a  Senator  in  Congress  fix)m  the  State  of  Missouri, 
and  to  present  some  slight  tribute  of  respect  for  his  mem- 
ory ;  and  I  feel  sure,  that  all  who  know  liis  character, 
and  especially  all  who  have  liad  the  pleasure,  as  I  have, 
of  forming  his  personal  ac([uaintance,  will  readily  unite 
with  me  in  performing  this  melancholy  duty. 


360 


APPENDIX. 


-!    ii 


He  was  emphatically  the  friend  of  Wisconsin,  as  he 
was  of  the  wlioie  West  ;  the  active  part  he  has  always 
taken  on  the  floor  of  the  United  States  Senate,  in  support 
of  every  measure  which  had  for  its  object  the  advance- 
ment of  our  interests,  cannot  ])ut  h.ave  endeared  him  to 
every  citizen  of  the  Territory,  and  liave  satisfied  all  that 
in  him  we  have  lost  a  friend  whose  place  we  can 
scarcely  hope  to  see  filled.  Dr.  Linn,  wherever  he  moved, 
whether  in  political  or  private  circles,  was  the  beloved 
of  all,  and  it  can  be  said  of  him  with  as  much  truth  pro- 
bably as  of  any  man  that  ever  lived,  that  he  was  without 
an  enemy.  But  an  overruling  Providence  has  removed 
him  from  earth  ;  and  as  we  can  do  no  more,  I  hope  we 
shall  do  no  less,  than  offer  to  his  memory  the  humble 
tribute  of  respect  contained  in  the  resolutions  I  hold  in 
my  hand. 

Mr,  Strong  then  submitted  the  f  jllowing,  which  were 
adopted  : 

Resolved,  By  the  Council  (if  the  House  of  Eepresen- 
tatives  concur).  That  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin  have  learned,  with  feelings  of  the 
greatest  regret,  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  late 
a  Senator  in  Congress  from  the  State  of  Missouri ;  that  by 
his  death  his  family  have  been  deprived  of  a  most  affec- 
tionate and  amiable  head  ;  Ccagress  of  a  true  Patriot  and 
able  Statesman  ;  his  ov.n  State  of  a  most  faithful  and 
efficient  KeprescntaHv  ;  the  whole  West  of  a  firm  and  ever 
ready  advocate  of  its  best  interests,  and  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin  in  particular  of  one  who  has  been  on  all  occa- 
sions its  resolute  and  devoted  friend  ;  and  to  whom  it  is 
deeply  indebted  for  his  zealous  activity  in  her  behalf,  in 
the  body  of  which  he  was  a  member. 

liesolved,  That  as  a  testimony  of  the  respect  which 
the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  entertain  for 


APPENDIX. 


361 


the  memory  of  ^he  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  botli  Houses  will 
immediately  adjourn,  after  resolving  that  each  member, 
shall  wear  crape  on  his  left  arm  in  respect  to  his  memory, 
for  thirty  days.     The  Council  thereupon  adjourned. 


,  ,,1 


f    i 


TRIBUTES  OF  RESPECT  TO  LEWIS  F.  LINN. 


The  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  without  distinction  of  party, 
are  requested  to  meet  at  the  Court  House  on  Wednccvl  y 
evening,  the  11th  instant,  at  7^  o'clock,  to  express  their 
regret  at  the  sudden  death  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F,  Linn, 
U.  S.  Senator  from  Missouri. 

St.  Louis. 


How  many  of  those  immortal  minds,  whose  genius  has 
illustrated  the  history  of  our  race,  have  lived  and  diid 
with  no  other  consolation  than  that  of  seeing  their  opin- 
ions making  way  and  giving  freedom  and  happiness  to 
men  !  How  few  indeed  have  lived  long  enough  to  see 
this  !  but  rarer  yet  has  it  happened  that  the  author  of  a 
great  truth  has  survived  to  witness  its  general  accei)tation, 
or  reap  the  reward  which  a  distant  posterity  alone  bestows 
in  its  homage  and  veneration  of  his  name. 


'» 


■  I, 


The  foregoing  sentiments  of  an  able  contemporary,  are 
particularly  applicable  to  the  recent  and  sudden  death  of 
the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn.  His  fovorite  measure  was  the 
immediate  occupation  and  settlement  of  the  Oregon  Ter- 
ritory by  American  citizens.  His  enlightened  mind  led 
him  to  perceive  the  importance  of  maintaining  our  title 
CO  that  region  by  encouraging  its  early  settlement,  and 
extending  to  those  who  might  check  our  progress  west- 


362 


APPENDIX. 


f- 

1 

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Si       I 


ward,  before  we  liad  reached  the  Pacific  Occl.i.  Tlie  cor- 
roctiiess  of  liis  "  Oregon  Bill,"  has  already  been  fully 
proved  by  the  impetus  given  to  emigration  thither,  even 
by  the  probability  of  its  adoption  by  the  Federal  Go'.'ern- 
ment ;  but  he  was  not  spared  to  witness  its  enactment — 
to  behold  the  triumph  of  those  views  which  he  had  so 
long  urged  with  determinetl  zeal  and  far-reaching  patriot- 
ism. We  trust,  however,  that  the  action  of  the  next 
Congress  will  award  to  his  memory  the  highest  praise 
which  it  can  bestow — the  approval  of  his  views  on  the 
Oregon  question  ;  that  it  will  not  be  left  to  "  a  distant 
posterity"  to  pay  that  tribute  to  liis  name  which  is  so 
eminently  due. 

We  know  that  the  annals  of  the  world  show  melan- 
choly proofs  of  the  fact,  that  great  men  are  not  always 
appreciateil  by  the  age  in  which  they  live  ;  but  there  are 
many  instances  on  record,  and  the  history  of  our  Kepublic 
furnifihes  not  a  few,  that  those  who  devote  their  lives  to 
the  service  of  their  fellowmen  and  of  their  country,  are 
not  always  neglected  by  their  contemporaries. 

Although  Dr.  Linn  had  not  the  gratification  of  wit- 
nessing before  his  death,  the  triumph  of  that  policy  which 
he  has  the  honor  of  having  first  suggested,  and  to  the 
advocacy  of  which  he  long  devoted  the  energies  of  his 
whole  mind,  yet  liis  constituents,  regardless  of  party  asso- 
ciations cheerfully  award  to  him  the  meed  of  their  heart- 
felt and  cordial  approbation.  He  possessed,  to  an  extra- 
ordinary degree,  those  attractive  (qualities  which  endeared 
him  to  all  who  knew  him,  and  which  won  the  confidence 
and  regard  even  of  those  who  cherished  different  opinions, 
and  who  consequently  were  often  found  arrayed  in  opposi- 
tion to  his  views.  Although  he  never  deserted  the  party 
to  which  he  was  sincerely  attached,  yet  his  op])onents 
respected  his  gentlemanly  bearing,  his  chivalric  character 


•  j 


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f- .  .. 


are 

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onents 
aractcr 


I 


APPENDIX. 


363 


and  his  true  greatness,  which  wouhl  not  suffer  him  to 
stoop  to  mean  and  paltry  devices  for  success,  or  indulge  in 
coarse  and  hitter  invective  to  wound  the  feelings  of  those 
who  could  not  view  all  pultlic  questions  in  the  same  light 
with  himself.  His  mind  was  too  enlarged,  his  soul  too 
pure,  and  his  aspirations  too  noble,  to  permit  him  to 
descend  to  the  humiliating  acts  which  have  often  degraded 
the  Statesmen  of  our  own  and  other  lands.  All  gave  him 
credit  for  sincerity  and  patriotism,  and  Missouri,  which 
twice  honored  him  with  a  seat  in  the  U.  S.  Senate,  will 
not  cease  to  cherish  his  memory  as  one  of  her  brightest 
ornaments.  He  was  a  Statesman  without  reproach,  a 
patriot  without  ignoble  ambition,  and  in  a  word,  one  of 
"  the  noblest  works  of  God — an  honest  man."  Lony;  mav 
he  be  remembered  as  "the  model  Senator"  of  Missouri. 

A  Whig. 


[From  ihe  Missouri  Reporter,  St.  Louis.] 

Yesterday  the  mournful  intelligence  reached  this  city, 
that  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  United  States  Senator  from 
Missouri,  died  at  his  residence,  in  St,  Genevieve,  on  the 
3d  instant.  We  learn  that  after  dinner,  on  the  day  of 
his  death,  he  retired  to  his  room,  and  was  shortly  after- 
wards discovered  to  have  passed  without  a  groan  to  a 
purer  and  better  world, 

Dr,  Linn  suffered  severely  last  spring  from  an  attack 
of  chronic  rheumatism,  and  on  his  recovery  made  n  visit 
to  Philadelphia,  New  York  and  other  eastern  cities.  On 
his  return  home,  about  a  fortnight  ago,  he  appeared  to  be 
entirely  restored  to  health,  and  his  family  and  friends  had 
just  begun  to  congratulate  themrselves  on  his  renewed 


■ 


ii 


i  t 


'.I  ^'^ 


364 


APPENDIX. 


1 1 

^'l 

a]  I 

I    . 

4 

strength  and  activity,  and  the  public  on  the  bright  career 
which  still  awaited  him,  when  the  sad  truth  broke  upon 
them,  that  he  whom  they  so  fondly  admired,  had  closed 
his  pilgrimage  on  earth. 

It  was  the  good  fortune  of  Dr.  Linn  to  enjoy  the  con- 
fidence and  esteem  of  all  parties,  notwithstanding  he  was 
a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate  during  the  most 
exciting  sessions  ever  known  in  our  j)olitical  history. 
With  attainments  of  a  high  order  and  intellect,  gifted  by 
nature  with  unusual  endowments,  and  a  heart  pure  and 
unsullied,  he  won  the  affection  of  all  associated  with  him, 
and  became  an  especial  favorite  of  the  people  of  this  State, 
to  whose  interests  he  had  devoted  himself  with  untiring 
industry.  His  unremitting  exertions  to  advance  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Great  West,  long  ago  caused  the  citizens  of 
this  State  to  regard  him  as  their  especial  champion  in  the 
Halls  of  Congress,  and  to  speak  of  him  with  feelings  of 
the  highest  regard  and  enthusiasm.  Twice  had  he  been 
elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate  with  little  or  no  opposition  ; 
both  his  political  friends  and  opponents  recording  their 
votes  in  his  favor  with  the  greatest  cheerfulness.  No  man 
in  Missouri  ever  commanded  more  general  and  sincere 
respect,  and  none  ever  possessed  a  more  wide-spread  or 
deserved  popularity.  The  planters  and  the  merchants, 
the  frontier  settlers  and  the  emigrants  to  Oregon,  found 
in  him  one  who  labored  for  their  prosperity  with  an  ambi- 
tion unalloyed  by  selfishness — with  no  ulterior  or  sinister 
objects  to  gratify,  and  Avith  no  other  desire  than  to  per- 
form his  duty  to  lu!-  constituents  faithfully,  honestly  and 
unostentatiously.  His  efforts  in  behalf  of  Oregon  will 
for  ever  identify  his  name  with  our  Pacific  Territory.  His 
was  the  labor  of  first  urging  on  the  National  Government 
the  importance  of  the  occupation  and  settlement  of  that 
lovely  region,  and  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  arousing 


APPENDIX. 


365 


the  attention  of  the  whole  country  to  that  great  question 
It  is  to  be  deeply  regretted  that  lie  was  not  spared  to  wit- 
ness, the  triumph  of  that  great  measure,  which  he  origi- 
nated, advocated,  and  urged  forward  with  zeal,  till  the  in- 
different became  interested,  the  doubtful  convinced,  and 
the  hostile  prei)ared  to  abandon  all  opposition  to  it.  But 
notliing  can  rob  him  of  the  honor  which  is  so  eminently  his 
due — nothing  can  separate  his  name  from  the  future  glory 
of  our  Pacific  Territory.  The  first  city  whose  foundations 
shall  be  laid  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  by  American 
citizens,  will  bear  his  name,  and  those  emigrants  to 
Oregon,  now  on  their  march  across  the  Western  prairies, 
■will  form  the  nucleus  around  which  will  soon  be  gathered 
a  happy  and  thriving  population,  to  attest  hereafter  the 
sagacity,  forecast,  and  patriotism  of  the  lamented  Linn. 

To  the  citizens  of  Missouri  and  the  whole  nation,  the 
death  of  Dr.  Linn  is  a  heavy  calamity.  No  one  in  Mis- 
souri can  fill  the  void  thus  created.  His  public  life 
affords  j  model  worthy  of  imitation ;  liis  conduct  as 
Senator  an  example  to  be  followed  by  all  who  may  succeed 
him.  He  was  courteous,  cliivalric,  brilliant  and  profound  ; 
an  uncompromising  but  conciliatoiy  advocate  of  his  politi- 
cal principles  ;  a  debater  of  great  power,  but  unostenta- 
tious in  his  manner  ;  a  Statesman  without  vanity,  a  poli- 
tician without  bitterness,  a  man,  like  the  Chevalier  Bayard, 
"  sans  peur,  sans  reproche." 

The  sadness  visible  on  every  countenance  yesterday, 
when  his  death  was  announced  in  our  city,  and  the  low 
and  mournful  tones  in  which  all  spoke  of  the  public  loss 
sustained  by  his  sudden  decease,  proved  the  sincerity  and 
depth  of  the  affection  universally  felt  for  one  so  worthy 
and  so  pure.  Most  sincerely  do  we  sympathize  with  her 
who  has  lost  an  idolized  husband,  and  with  those  who  have 
been  deprived  by  this  afflictive  dispensation  of  Providence, 


It'  ! 


.  i|i 


ki  , 


'■■■•■I* 


»: 


8G6 


APPENDIX. 


u 


!     r 


I  !'  J.' 

ill    "  ' 


I 


of  an  affectionate  and  lionored  parent.  If  it  can  afford 
any  consolation  to  the  bereaved  family  to  know  that  others 
mourn  •with  them  in  the  hour  of  their  grief,  they  have  the 
best  assurance  which  can  he  given,  that  every  Missourian 
feels  the  deepest  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  one  so  distinguished 
and  so  loved. 


St.  Louis,  October  iGth,  1843. 
To  Mrs.  L.  F.  Linn. 

Eespected  Madam, — The  people  of  St.  Louis  at  the 
Court  House  of  the  County  in  public  meeting  assembled, 
made  it  my  duty  to  forward  to  you  a  copy  of  its  proceed- 
ings had  expressive  of  their  love  and  respect  for  the  mem- 
ory of  the  Honorable  Lewis  F.  Linn,  their  Senator,  and 
your  illustrious  and  excellent  husband,  and  to  signify  to 
you.  Madam,  how  deeply  and  how  sincerely  they  sympa- 
thize with  you  in  this  your  and  their  great  bereavement. 

In  attempting  to  execute  the  solemn  duty  I  am  so 
oppressed  with  a  sense  of  my  inability  to  do  justice  to  the 
feelings  of  deep  sorrow  felt  by  the  citizens  of  a  city  and 
a  county  wliom  he  has  served  so  long,  so  faithfidly  and  so 
well,  that  I  fear  to  increase  that  grief,  so  natural  for  you 
to  feel,  and  which  we  so  much  respect,  rather  than  to 
afford  consolation  to  the  wounded  spirit  of  one  whose  deep 
sorrow  and  affliction  has  rendered  her  still  more  dear  to 
the  hearts  of  a  susceptible  and  stricken  people. 

Giving  utterance  to  my  profound  veneration  for  the 
memory  of  the  dead,  and  praying  that  Almighty  God 
may  graciously  afford  Divine  Consolation  to  the  living,  I 
dare  intrude  no  further  upon  the  sanctity  of  your  grief. 

Be  pleased  to  accept  herewith  a  cojiy  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  people  of  the  city  and  county  of  St.  Louis, 
and  be  assured  of  the  deep  sympathies  of  each  one  of 


i.  ! 


iin 


'ii 


il 


APPENDIX. 


367 


tlio  citizens  composing   tliut  vjist  assemblage,   ami  their 
profound  respect  tor  your  sorrow. 

I  have   the  honor  to  bo  your  obeilient  and  luimble 
servant. 

Jno.  M.  Wimeu. 


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At  an  unusually  numerous  meeting  of  citizens  of  St. 
Louis,  convened  at  tlie  court  liouse  on  Wednesday  even- 
ing the  ilth  inst.,  for  the  purpose  of  testifying  their 
respect  for  the  memory  of  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  late  one 
of  the  senators  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  from 
Missouri,  and  whose  death  took  place  on  the  .'3d  inst., 
on  motion  of  Judge  James  B.  BoAvlin,  Hon.  John  M. 
Winier,  mayor  of  the  city,  was  called  to  the  chair  ;  and 
N.  Paschall  was  appointed  secretary. 

The  chairman  then  addressed  the  meeting  to  the  fol- 
lowing effect : 

"  We  are  convened  here,  fellow  citizens,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  receipt  of  the  mournful  intelligence  that 
the  warm,  the  devoted  and  active  friend  of  St.  Louis,  the 
Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  one  of  our  Senators,  has  been  taken 
away  by  the  hand  of  death.  It  is  the  greatest  loss  and 
the  severest  chastisement  ever  inflicted  upon  St.  Louis. 
The  blow  was  sudden  and  desolating — the  more  so.  Avhcn 
we  consider  that  our  friend,  virtue's  ornament,  was  re- 
moved by  Providence  in  the  midst  of  life  and  in  the  full 
career  of  usefulness  and  honor.  It  becomes  us  as  a  peo- 
ple to  meekly  bow  to  the  awful  and  inscrutable  dispensa- 
tion and  humbly  invoke  Divine  asdistance  to  aid  and  suit- 
ably to  demean  ourselves  in  this  cv-c  groat  aflliction. 

"  /?he  p<.'mp  of  obsequies  are  of  no  advantage  to  the 


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APPENDIX. 


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dead,  but  they  often  afford  consolation  to  the  Imng. 
What  tokens  of  respect  for  the  deceased  will  be  suitable 
for  the  occasion,  and  expressive  of  the  deep  emotions  of 
regret  felt  by  the  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  it  is  the  business 
of  this  meeting  to  consider," 

Lewis  V.  Bogy,  Esq.,  then  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tion, which  was  unanimously  adopted  : 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  nine  persons  be 
appointed  by  the  chair  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  and 
reporting  a  preamble,  and  resolutions  appropriate  to  the 
occasion," 

Thereupon  the  chair  appointed  Messrs  Bogy,  Blair, 
Drake,  Bowlin,  Milburn,  Geyer,  Ay  res,  Dobyns  and  Kan- 
ney,  said  committee  :  The  committee  having  retired  Mr. 
Benton  was  called  upon  from  all  parts  of  the  room,  and 
in  obedience  to  the  call  addressed  the  meeting  : 

He  said,  that  great  as  the  grief  of  all  present  was,  he  had 
more  to  lament  than  any  one.  As  a  citizen  of  the  State 
he  felt  in  common  with  all  other  citizens  the  sorrow  which 
ojipreHsed  their  bosoms ;  as  a  senator  still  having  some 
time  to  serve,  he  felt  the  loss  of  a  colleague  from  whom 
he  always  received  the  kindest,  the  most  cordial,  the  most 
efficient  aid  ;  as  a  friend  he  had  to  lament  the  loss  of  one 
of  his  earliest  friends.  He  (Mr,  B.)  had  arrived  in  Mis- 
souri above  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  while  the  lamented 
deceased  was  still  a  youth  at  school ;  and  from  the  first 
moment  of  his  arrival  hsid  found  in  him,  and  in  all  his 
connections,  the  most  generous  friendship,  never  inter- 
rupted for  an  instant,  and  which  never  glowed  with  more 
warmth  than  in  the  last  interview,  a  few  weeks  before, 
when  they  spent  the  day  together.  The  loss  of  such  a 
colleague  and  of  such  a  friend  was  to  him  the  addition  of 
a  private  to  a  public  loss,  and  doubled  the  weight  of  the 
grief  which  he  felt. 


r 


APPENDIX. 


369 


The  worthy  mayor,  said  Mr.  B.,  'vho  presides  on  this 
melancholy  occasion  has  opened  the  subject  with  just  and 
appropriate  remarks.  The  respcctahle  committee  which 
has  been  appointed,  will  report  resolutions  which  will 
cover  tlie  merits  of  the  deceased  and  attest  our  feeling  ;  and 
some  one  of  the  committee  will  doubtless  be  designated  to 
illustrate  with  his  observations  the  resolutions  which  shall 
be  submitted.  He  would  not  trench  upon  his  province  ;  but 
would  confine  himself  to  points,  in  the  public  life  and  charac- 
ter of  his  deceased  friend  and  colleague,  less  generally  known, 
but  equally  honorable  to  the  man  and  the  senator.  He 
would  speak  of  his  generous  kindness  and  amenity,  which 
conciliated  good  will  from  all  parties — which  softened  the 
acerbities  of  party — which  composed  many  differences — 
and  which  flew  to  the  sick  bed  of  every  member  without 
regard  to  party,  and  joined  the  assiduities  of  nurse  and 
friend  to  the  profound  skill  of  the  accomplished  physician. 
He  would  speak  of  his  punctual  attendance  in  his  place, 
and  his  faithful  discharge  of  every  public  duty.  He 
would  speak  of  his  instant  and  ready  attention  to  every 
call  from  his  constituents,  whether  opponents  (for  he  had 
no  foes)  or  supporters.  He  would  speak  of  his  success  in 
carrying  great  measures,  which  would  not  have  been  car- 
ried by  any  one  save  himself.  There  was  a  charm  in  the 
goodness  of  his  heart,  the  gentleness  of  his  manner  and 
the  amiability  of  his  temper,  which  gave  power  to  talents 
and  enabled  him  to  do  for  his  8tate,  what  none  but  him- 
self could  have  done. 

He  (Mr.  B.)  was  not  using  the  language  of  eidogy 
but  speaking  the  words  of  truth,  and  saying  that  which 
should  pass  into  history.  Perhaps  the  most  important 
measure  ever  carried  in  Congress  for  the  benefit  of  Mis- 
souri was  the  acquisition  of  that  superb  territory  known 
as  the  Platte  country  ;  the  lamented  Linn  was  the  author 
84 


''i 


w 


.;     Iff 


370 


APPENDIX. 


hi 


!l. 


m 


I 


of  that  measure  ! — True,  he  was  supported  by  his  col- 
leatrues,  but  they  could  not  have  carried  it.  His  colleague 
in  the  Senate  older  than  himself,  and  who  addresses  you, 
could  not  have  carried  it.  It  required  not  only  sagacity, 
and  tact,  and  discretion  to  carry  that  great  and  delicate 
measure,  but  it  required  also  tlie  sweetness  of  temper, 
which  wins  hearts,  and  which  our  deceased  friend  so  emi- 
nently possessed.  As  an  historical  truth  which  should 
be  known  now  and  for  ever  to  every  Missourian,  this  state- 
ment is  now  made  on  this  solemn  occasion,  to  this  large 
and  respectable  assembly,  that  the  knowledge  of  it  may 
be  spread  as  wide,  and  last  as  long  as  the  acquisition  of 
the  Platte  has  been  auspicious  and  glorious  for  the  State. 
(Great  applause  followed  the  delivery  of  this  statement.) 

The  old  inhabitants  of  this  cour  try — those  who  viewed 
all  the  new  emigrants  with  such  kindness  on  the  change 
of  government,  and  whose  grants  of  land  from  Spain 
and  France  had  in  so  many  instances  suffered  from  Avant 
of  confirmation, — those  old  inhabitants,  and  all  claiming 
under  them,  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  illustrious 
deceased,  for  to  him  is  owing  the  passage  of  the  last  act 
of  Congress,  which  has  done  so  much  towards  the  final 
and  equitable  acknowledgment  of  these  long  delayed 
grants. 

This  is  not  the  time,  said  Mr.  B.,  to  enumerate  the 
services  of  the  deceased  ;  another  occasion  will  present 
itself  for  that  act  of  justice.  To  mourn  the  loss  of  a 
statesman,  a  patriot,  a  friend,  a  good  man — to  weep  for 
him,  rather  than  to  speak  of  liis  public  acts — is  now  the 
feelings  of  every  one.  But  how  can  we  omit  the  last 
great  act,  as  yet  unfinished,  in  which  his  whole  soul  was 
engaged  at  the  time  of  his  death  ? — The  Bill  for  the  set- 
tlement and  occupation  of  Oregon,  was  his,  nnd  he  car- 
ried it  through  the  Senate,  when  his  colleague,  who  now 


APPENDIX. 


371 


I 


addresses  you,  could  not  have  done  it.  This  is  another 
historical  truth,  fit  to  be  made  known,  on  this  occasion, 
and  which  is  now  declared  to  this  large  and  respectable 
assemblage,  under  all  circumstances  which  impart  solem- 
nity to  the  declaration.  (Great  applause).  He  carried 
that  bill  through  the  Senate,  and  it  was  the  measure  of  a 
statesman.  Just  to  the  settler,  it  was  wise  to  the  govern- 
ment. The  settler  has  a  right  to  have  a*  home  in  the  new 
country,  which  he  reclaims  from  the  wilderness  and  the 
savage  ;  the  government  of  the  United  States  can  only 
save  its  domain  on  the  Oregon  by  planting  its  citizens 
there.  Land  ih  the  inducement  and  the  reward  to  emi- 
gration, and  that  land  was  granted  by  the  bill — liberally 
granted  to  the  wife,  and  the  children,  to  the  young  man 
and  the  widow,  as  well  as  the  husband  and  the  father. 
That  bill  is  the  vindication  and  the  assertion  of  the 
American  title  against  the  daring  designs  of  England, 
and  it  was  the  only  way  to  save  the  country.  It  was  car- 
ried through  the  Senate  at  the  last  session,  and  its 
author  was  preparing  to  carry  it  again.  Called  this  sum- 
mer to  the  Atlantic  States  on  private  business  he  availed 
himself  of  all  opportunities  to  collect  fresh  materials  for 
the  support  of  hi",  darling  measure.  The  last  day  that 
he  spent  in  this  town,  only  three  weeks  ago,  on  his  return 
xrom  the  East,  he  spoke  of  these  materials — of  the  daring 
pretensions  of  England,  and  of  his  determination  to  push 
the  mepsure  which  was  to  save  his  country's  rights  with 
renewed  vigor  at  the  ensuing  session.  Alas  that  he 
should  not  have  been  spared  to  put  the  finishing  hand  to 
a  measure  which  was  to  reward  the  emigrant,  to  protect 
his  country,  to  curb  England,  and  to  connect  his  own  name 
with  the  foundation  of  an  empire.  But  it  is  done  !  the 
unfinished  work  will  go  on  !  it  will  be  completed  and  the 
name  of  Linn  will  not  bo  forgotten  ;  that  name  will  live 


'<     !.    'I 


'!   l> 


If 


'1 


372 


APPENDIX. 


k 

■  r  ; 


■I-  'i 


I: 


i 


jivi 
'V''' 


i 


and  be  connected  with  Oregon,  while  its  banks  bear  a 
plant  or  its  waters  roll  a  wave. 

A  great  man  of  the  early  days  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion died  while  he  had  a  great  measure  depending  :  it 
was  Mirabeau,  who  was  surprised  by  death  while  his  biU 
for  the  division  of  estates  was  still  depending  before  tlie 
Legislative  Assembly.  The  terrors  of  death  could  not 
stifle  his  regard  for  his  bill.  He  made  a  bequest  of  it  to 
a  friend.  He  willed  the  unfinished  work  to  the  celebrated 
Talleyrand ;  and  this  Deputy  read  to  the  assendjly  the 
speech  prepared  for  the  occasion  by  the  great  orator,  and 
carried  the  measure.  If  inexorable  ftite  had  allowed  a 
few  minutes  to  our  departed  friend,  he  would  doubtless 
have  done  the  same.  Death  had  no  terrors  for  him,  and 
a  moment  would  have  snatched  from  the  agonizing  cares 
of  friends  and  family  to  have  commended  and  committed 
the  crowning  measure  of  his  life  to  the  faithful  hands  of  a 
successor.  He  had  not  that  time — not  a  moment  to 
think,  nor  to  speak  ! — And  now  the  whole  representation 
from  Missouri — the  whole  d<?legation  from  the  Great 
West — must  constitute  themselves  his  political  legatees 
— take  his  great  measure  to  themselves  and  carry  it 
through. 

Mr.  B.  would  still  confine  himself  to  points,  not  so 
generally  known,  and  among  these  was  the  great  devcl- 
opement  of  mind  which  their  lamented  friend  was  iinder- 
going  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Of  the  nine  years  he  had 
served  in  the  Senate,  the  last  two  or  three  were  fullest  of 
improvement  to  himself  and  benefit  to  his  country.  His 
faculties  were  maturing  eveiy  day,  and  his  delivery  be- 
coming truly  beautiful.  Bred  to  a  profession  which  did 
not  admit  of  "public  displays  he  required  practice  to  per- 
fect and  develop  his  powers  ;  and  practice  was  doing  its 
part  in  perfecting  genius.     A  natural  gift  for  speaking 


APPENDIX. 


373 


was  improved  into  eloquence  ;  a  mind  originally  good  was 
enriched  with  the  acquisitions  of  study  and  observation. 
Thus  improved,  he  spoke  without  effort,  and  seemingly 
without  a  consciousness  of  the  power  and  beauty  of  his 
own  discourse.  The  Senate  listened  to  him  with  aston- 
ishment and  admiration,  and  some  have  been  heard  to 
exclaim,  the  man  is  inspired.  A  few  years  more  Avould 
have  doubled  his  powers.  That  such  a  man  should  have 
perished  in  the  meridian  of  his  days,  and  so  suddenly  and 
unexpectedly,  is  for  ever  to  be  deplored.  He  laid  down  to 
sleep  a  few  moments,  and  awoke  no  more.  It  was  the 
sleep  of  death — sleep  converted  into  death — eternal  sleep. 

On  an  other  occasion  Mr.  B.  said  it  would  be  his  pri- 
vilege to  speak  more  deliberately  of  the  merits  of  the  de- 
ceased, at  present  he  only  followed  the  impulsions  of  the 
heart  in  giving  vent  to  feelings  of  sorrow  and  affection, 
which  found  a  response  in  all  bosoms,  and  which  so  many 
had  met  this  night  to  manifest. 

Mr.  Bogy,  from  the  committee  for  that  purpose,  re- 
ported the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  for  the 
action  of  the  meeting. 

Whereas,  the  safety  and  prosperity  of  our  country 
mainly  depend  on  the  virtue  and  ability  of  the  statesmen 
and  representatives  to  whom  the  duties  of  government, 
and  the  making  of  laws,  are  delegated  by  the  people ; 
and  whereas,  when  Providence  has  removed  from  amongst 
us,  to  another  and  a  better  world,  a  representative  of 
eminent  merit,  it  becomes  our  duty  to  declare  in  a  pub- 
lic and  solemn  manner,  our  respect  for  his  memory,  and 
our  sense,  with  all  submission  to  the  Divine  Will,  of  the 
loss  sustained ;  and  whereas  an  occasion  has  presented 
itself  of  so  testifying  our  sentiments  on  the  sudden  death 
of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn.     It  is  therefore. 

Resolved,  That  we  have  received  the  sad  tidings  of 


ki| 


II 


374 


APPENDIX. 


m 


u 


n 


>' 
( 

k 


nil  "T" 


;,  ll 


the  recent  sudden  decease  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  one 
of  the  Senators  from  this  State  in  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  with  feelings  of  profound  regret,  and  de- 
plore the  event,  as  a  public  misfortune. 

liesolved,  That  the  conduct  and  deportment  of  Lewis 
F.  Linn  during  his  too  brief  existence,  was  distinguished 
in  private  and  professional  life,  as  in  high  public  station, 
by  a  rare  combination  of  qualities,  commanding  our  re- 
spect, while  they  won  our  affections,  and  that  our  lamented 
Senator  has  given  to  those  who  shall  succeed  him  in  the 
councils  of  the  nation,  a  salutary  and  bright  example. 

Besolved,  That  in  liis  senatorial  action,  on  the  rela- 
tions and  interests  of  these  United  States  and  Territories — 
in  their  whole  vast  expanse,  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
to  Cape  Sable,  and  from  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean 
to  the  boundary  line  of  Maine  and  New  Brunswick,— wc 
acknowledge  and  appreciate  the  wisdom,  energy,  and  higli 
sense  of  national  right  and  honor,  exibited  by  Lewis  F. 
Linn. 

liesolved,  That  the  efforts  of  Lewis  F.  Linn  to  obtain 
justice  for  that  portion  of  our  population,  whose  rights  of 
property  were  especially  guaranteed  to  them  by  the  treaty 
of  cession  of  the  30th  April,  1803,  alone  entitle  his 
memory  to  the  respect  of  every  American  citizen  who  can 
appreciate  the  value  to  the  individual,  or  to  the  mass  of 
national  good  faith  and  honor. 

Resolved,  That  we  respectfully  tender  to  the  bereaved 
and  afflicted  family  of  our  deceased  Senator  the  assurance 
of  our  sympathies ;  and  that  a  copy  of  the  proceedings 
of  this  meeting  be  forwarded  to  his  widow  by  the  chair- 
man with  an  appropriate  letter. 

The  report  having  been  adopted  by  the  meeting,  Gen. 
Kanney  offered  a  resolution  which  was  afterwards  modi- 
fied to  read  as  follows  : 


APPENDIX. 


375 


liesolvcd,  That  a  committee  of  three  persons  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  chairman,  wliose  duty  it  shall  be  to  select 
some  person  to  deliver  an  appropriate  address  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  deatli  of  Senator  Linn,  and  to  appoint  a  time 
and  place  for  its  delivery. 

The  Chair  appointed  Messrs.  Ranney,  Hudson  and 
Blannerhasset,  to  act  as  this  committee. 

Judge  Lawless,  Lewis  V.  Bogy,  Esq.  and  T.  H.  Holt 
Esq.,  tlien  in  succession  addressed  the  meeting  in  eloquent 
and  happily  conceived  speeches. 

On  motion  of  Dr.  Hardage  Lane,  it  was, 

liesolved,  That  the  several  papers  in  this  city  and 
State  be  requested  to  publish  the  proceedings  of  this 
meeting. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned. 

John  M.  Wimer,  Chairman. 

N.  Paschall,  Secretary. 


4'}\ 


1.  m 


St.  Louis,  October,  1th,  1843. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Medical  Society  of  Missouri  held 
last  evening,  the  deatli  of  the  Honorable  Lewis  F.  Linn 
having  been  announced,  the  following  preamble  and  reso- 
lutions were  unanimously  adopted. 

Whereas,  it  has  pleased  an  all  wise  Providence  to 
remove  from  tliis  life  of  usefulness  by  a  sudden,  and  un- 
looked  for  death,  one  of  the  most  estimable  of  our  profes- 
sional brethren,  we  the  officers  and  members  of  the 
Medical  Society  of  Missouri,  deploring  in  common  with  the 
entire  community  the  loss  sustained,  take  this  method  of 
expressing  our  unfeigned  sorrow  for  the  event. 

Therefore,  Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Lewis 
F.  Linn,   a  distinguished  member  of  our  body,   we  are 


376 


APPENDIX. 


II 


h 


I 

h 


..Vil 


t  ■  ■ 


called  iijion  to  mourn  tlio  loss  of  one,  who  for  the  many 
ennohliiijij  (inalities  of  his  heart  and  understanding,  fur  his 
high  intelleetual  endowments,  and  distinguished  profes- 
sional attainments,  for  his  learning,  his  genius,  and  his 
eloquence,  must  ever  be  remembered  by  all  who  reverence 
the  lofty  attainments  displayed  in  the  stations  he  adorned. 

Ilcsolved,  That  this  Society  sincerely  deplore  this 
melancholy  dispensation  which  has  deprived  our  jjrofession 
of  one  of  its  ornaments,  and  truly  sympathize  with  his 
distressed  family  in  the  loss  they  have  sustained. 

Itcsolved,  That  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  deceased 
the  members  of  this  Society  wear  the  usual  badge  of 
mourning,  for  thirty  days. 

Jlesolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  signed 
by  the  officers  of  this  Society,  and  transmitted  to  the 
family  of  the  deceased,  and  published  in  the  newspapers 
of  the  city. 

Hardage  Lane,  President. 

Wm.  M.  McPheeteus,  Rec.  Secretary. 


MEETING  AT  ST.  GENEVIEVE. 

At  a  large  and  respectable  meeting  of  the  citizens  of 
the  town  and  county  of  Saint  Genevieve  in  the  State  of 
Missouri,  hekl  pursuant  to  notice,  at  the  Court  House  in 
the  town  of  Saint  Genevieve,  on  Wednesday,  the  4th  day 
of  October,  A.  D.  1843,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  a  suit- 
able tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Honor- 
able Lewis  F.  Linn,  deceased  : 

On  motion  Ferdinand  Rozier,  Esq.,  and  the  Hon.  Cle- 
ment Detchemendy,  Avere  called  to  the  chair,  and  John  N. 
Littlejohn  was  chosen  Secretary,  and  on  a  further  motion, 
the   Chair  appointed   the  following  gentlemen   a  com- 


APPENDIX. 


377 


mittco  to  draft  and  present  to  the  meeting  a  preamble 
and  resolutions,  expressive  of  the  sense  of  the  meeting, 
and  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  to  wit,  Messrs.  Augte. 
St.  Gemme,  Esq.,  Doctor  J.  Sargeant,  Doctor  13.  Sliaw, 
General  J.  D.  Grafton,  William  Adams,  Esq.,  Felix  Valle, 
Esq.,  and  Adoljih  Kazier,  Esq.,  who,  after  having  retired 
for  a  short  time,  reported  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  by  their  Chairman,  to  wit : 

Whereas  it  has  pleased  Almighty  God,  in  the  ways 
of  His  inscrutable  Providence,  to  remove  from  us  in  a 
sudden  manner,  by  the  hand  of  death,  our  distinguished 
and  respected  townsman  and  fellow  citizen,  the  Honor- 
able Lewis  F.  Linn,  a  member  of  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  and  whereas,  we  deem  it  not  only  our 
duty,  but  our  melancholy  privilege  to  be  among  the  first 
to  express,  in  a  public  manner,  our  sense  of  the  loss  which 
is  thus  sustained,  by  ourselves,  our  State  and  our  common 
country,  therefore : 

1.  Resolved,  That  in  the  sudden  demise  of  the  Hon- 
orable Lewis  F.  Linn,  we  feel  the  event  as  a  great 
affliction,  not  only  to  his  family,  but  extending  to  us  his 
neighbors  and  personal  friends,  to  the  State  of  Missouri, 
and  to  the  elevated  body  of  which  he  was  a  member  in 
the  Counsels  of  the  General  Government. 

2.  Resolved,  That  while  as  neighbors  and  citizens  we 
thus  deplore  the  event  we  have  met  to  reflect  and  act 
upon,  our  sympathy  is  in  a  most  peculiar  manner  directed 
to  the  bereaved  family  of  our  deceased  friend,  to  whom 
the  loss  they  have  sustained,  in  the  husband  and  the 
father,  is  irreparable. 

3.  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  proceedings  be 
signed  by  the  Chairman  and  Secretary,  and  forwai-ded  to 
some  one  of  the  editors  of  newspapers  in  the  city  of  St. 


!l'  1.^. 


PI 


f! 


378 


APPENDIX. 


¥■1 


M 


Louis  for  puhlication,  with  u  request  that  the  same  may 
be  also  inserted  in  all  the  new8pa])er8  in  this  State. 

4.  Ih'solved,  That  a  copy  of  tliese  j)roceeding8  he 
furnished  to  the  widow  and  family  of  the  deceased. 

All  of  which  was  unanimously  adopted, — and  on 
motion  the  meeting  adjourned. 

Ferdinand  Rozier, 
Clement  Detchemendy, 

Chairman. 
John  N.  Littlejohn,  Secretary. 


.i  1 


i 

y«,i 


11 


% 


Wi 


^i 


f 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Citizens  of  Potosi  and  its  Aicinity, 
convened  at  the  Presbyterian  Church  on  Saturday  the 
14th  instant,  for  the  purpose  of  testifying  their  respect 
for  the  memory  of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  whose  death 
took  place  on  the  3d  instant :  On  motion  of  W.  C.  Read, 
Esq.,  General  Augustus  Jones  was  called  to  the  Chair, 
and  Dr.  James  H.  McGready  appointed  Secretary.  The 
Chairman  then  explained  the  object  of  the  meeting  in 
quite  an  ai)propriate  manner.  Mr.  W.  C.  Read,  being 
called  on,  addressed  the  meeting,  and  in  conclusion  moved 
that  a  committee  of  seven  be  appointed  by  the  Chair  for 
the  purpose  of  drafting  a  preamble  and  resolutions  expres- 
sive of  the  sense  of  the  meeting,  whereupon  the  following 
gentlemen  were  appointed,  W  C.  Read,  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas, 
Rev.  Mr.  Cowan,  John  Scott,  Col.  P.  P.  Brickey,  John 
Brickey,  Esq.,  and  Valentine  Haifner,  who  after  a  short 
deliberation  made  the  following  report. 

Whereas  the  melancholy  intelligence  of  the  death  of 
our  Senator,  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  having  reached  us, 
and  whereas  although  we  should  freely  and  willingly  sub- 
mit to  the  dispensations  of  Providence  which  are  always 


APPENDIX. 


379 


conceived  in  wisdom  and  j^oodness,  yet  when  we  see  death 
with  all  its  terrors  and  fearful  forebodings  laying  waste 
and  cutting  down  in  liis  prime  and  usefulness,  a  puhlie 
servant,  who  on  all  occasions  served  his  fellow-eitizeiis 
faithfully,  and  in  whom  the  pride  of  the  connnunity 
seemed  to  he  concentrated,  thereby  i>roducing  a  public 
calamity  which  seemed  universally  to'  be  felt  throughout 
the  land,  it  is  but  human  nature,  it  is  a  principle  im- 
planted in  the  human  breast  to  feel  a  disposition  to  assem- 
ble in  congregated  masses  in  peace  and  friendship,  for  the 
purpose  of  mingling  in  sentiments  of  respect  for  hiin,  and 
to  express  a  regret  for  the  lamentable  occurrence,  wlion  he 
has  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  his  Maker  bid  a  final  adieu 
to  things  on  earth  and  left  his  friends  to  lament  his 
departine.     Therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  our  Senator,  the  Hon. 
Lewis  F.  Linn,  Missouri  has  lost  one  of  her  brigntest 
sons,  one  of  her  most  faithful  representatives,  and  one  of 
her  best  citizens. 

Resolved,  That  in  Dr.  Linn  we  find  combined  the  able 
and  skilful  physician,  together  with  a  kindness  of  heart 
which  always  manifested  the  keenest  pain  at  the  distress 
and  suffering  of  his  fellow-citizens  in  their  hour  of  illness. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  our  friend  we  have 
been  deprived  of  one  of  the  rarest  specimens  of  virtue, 
charity,  and  goodness  of  heart,  which  adorns  the  human 
character. 

Resolved,  That  in  his  constitution  we  find  the  patriot, 
the  philanthropist,  and  the  accomplished  and  sagacious 
Statesman. 

Resolved,  That  while  he  was  firm  and  unswerving  in 
his  principles,  yet  he  was  kind  and  courteous  to  his  oppo- 
nents. 

Resolved,  Tliat  at  the  next  session  of  Congress,  while 


I 
■  : 

i 


1  ¥ 


I." 


&     ,:|    l( 


ml 


4  i\  i 


380 


APPENDIX. 


VM 


there  will  be  a  dark  gloom  cast  over  the  Senate  Chamber 
at  the  announeeiuent  of  his  death,  there  will  be  a  vacuum 
produced  which  will  be  hard  to  fill. 

Itcsolvcd,  That  we  deeply  Sj  rapathize  with  his  bereaved 
family,  in  the  irreparable  loss  which  they  have  sustained 
in  a  kind  and  affectionate  husband  and  father. 

Iti'sohcd,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  meeting  be  directed 
to  transmit  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  to 
the  widow  of  our  deceased  friend. 

licsolved,  That  the  Secretary  also  be  requested  to  send 
a  cojjy  to  his  brother,  Gov.  Dodge,  of  Wisconsin  Territory. 

licsolved,  That  the  President  and  Secretary  sign  the 
proceedings  of  this  meeting. 

JtefioJvrd,  That  the  St.  Louis  papers  be  requested  to 
publish  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Cowan  then  addressed  the  meeting  in  a 
brief  marmer.     On  motion  the  meeting  adjourned. 

A.  Jones,  President. 
J.  H.  McGready,  Secretary. 


At  a  large  and  respectable  meeting  of  the  citizens  of 
Madison  County,  held  at  the  Court  House  in  Frederick- 
town,  Mo.,  on  the  20th  of  Oct.,  1843,  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  the  respect  due  to  the  memory  of  our  beloved 
friend  and  U.  S.  Senator,  Dr.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  S.  A. 
Guignon,  Esq.,  wjis  called  to  the  chair  and  S.  D.  Caruthers 
was  ajjpointcd  Secretary.  The  object  of  the  meeting 
being  made  known,  by  a  few  ai)proi)riatc  remarks,  on  mo- 
tion of  Robt.  H.  Lane,  Esq.,  a  committee  of  ten  was  ap- 
pointed to  draft  a  preamble  nnd  resolutions,  expressive  of 
the  regard  which  we  entert.ain  for  the  memory  of  the  late 
Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn :    whereupon,  the  chair  appointed 


APPENDIX. 


381 


the  followinpj  gentlemen  to  compose  said  committee : 
Messrs.  R.  H.  Lane,  T.  F.  Tong,  J.  D.  Villars,  E.  F. 
Pratte,  Caleb  Cox,  D.  L.  Canitliers,  J.  P.  Davis,  Chas. 
Gregoire,  Paul  Deguire,  and  Jas.  McFadden.  During 
the  absence  of  the  conunittee,  the  Hon.  John  D.  Cook 
was  called  upon  to  address  the  meeting,  which  he  did,  in 
a  clear  and  able  manner,  making  it  appear  obvious,  to 
every  one  present,  that  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Linn,  Mis- 
souri, and  particularly  Southern  Missouri,  has  sustained 
an  irrei)arable  loss.  The  committee  returned,  after  a  few 
minutes'  absence,  and  through  the  chairman,  li.  H.  Lane, 
Esq.,  reported  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  : 

Whereas  the  soaring  mind  of  Addison  compares  the 
life  and  exit  of  a  great  and  good  man  to  the  sun,  which, 
on  its  first  ai>pearance  gives  light  and  animation  to  the 
earth  ;  and,  when  it  makes  its  final  exit,  leaves  the  con- 
templative powers  of  man  to  meditate  upon  its  departed 
glory,  we  deem  it  no  misconstruction  of  the  simile  in  ap- 
plying this  comparison  to  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  late  U. 
S.  Senator,  whose  memory,  we  are,  at  this  tune,  called  upon 
to  lament.  His  pathway  through  life  was  illuminated 
by  the  light  of  genius ;  and  the  pure  fire  of  i)atriotism 
that  glowed  in  his  heart,  gave  heat  and  animation  to  all 
of  his  acts  for  the  amelioration  of  his  country  :  therefore, 
be  it 

Itesolved,  1.  That  we  deem  the  death  of  the  Hon. 
Lewis  F.  Linn,  Senator  from  Missouri  in  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States,  as  a  public  calamity. 

2.  That  \v  his  brilliant  career  we  behold  the  enlight- 
ened statesmiMi,  the  pure  patriot,  and  the  virtuous  citizen. 

3.  Tiiat  in  his  oft-repeated  call  for  the  occupation  of 
the  Oregon  Territory,  we  recognize  the  presentation  of 
means  for  the  accomplishment  of  a  glorious  end. 

4.  Thai  on  this  occasion  wo  tender  our  condolence  to 


vAi 


il 


;.   \ :? 


V 

I, 


382 


APPENDIX. 


fc'H 


:;l 


k\ 


if 


his  bereaved  family  ;  and  that  we  submissively  bow  to  the 
afflicting  dispensation  of  Providence,  that  bereft  us  of 
him. 

5.  That  a  transcript  of  the  proceedings  of  this  meet- 
ing, signed  by  the  chairman  and  secretary,  be  presented  to 
his  family. 

6.  That  a  copy  of  these  proceedings  be  sent  to  Gen. 
Henry  Dodge,  half-brother  of  our  deceased  friend. 

7.  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  be  signed  by 
the  chairman  and  secretary,  and  published  in  the  South- 
ern Advocate,  and  all  other  papers  in  this  State  friendly 
to  Dr.  Linn. 

The  foregoing  preamble  and  resolutions  were  read,  and 
unanimously  adopted.  After  which,  a  call  was  made  upon 
Gen.  Augustus  Jones  to  deliver  an  address  :  to  which  he 
responded  in  the  most  feeling  and  pathetic  manner.  Dur- 
ing his  remarks,  he  reverted  back  to  the  scenes  of  their 
boyhood  : — reminding  the  enraptured  audience  of  many 
incidents  that  occurred  during  the  infantile  days  of  Dr. 
Linn,  which  proved  beyond  a  doubt,  that  he  possessed  a 
truly  magnanimous  soul.  He  traced  him  through  his 
long  and  illustrious  career,  and  told  of  many  of  his  bene- 
volent acts  towards  the  sick,  the  wounded,  the  poor  and 
needy,  that  would  have  confirmed  in  the  minds  of  the 
most  incredulous,  that  Dr.  Linn  was  well  entitled  to  the 
appellation  of  GREAT. 

S.  C.  GuiGNON,  Chairman. 

S.  D.  Caruthers,  Secretary. 


Fredericktown,  23d  October^  1840. 

Madam, — In  accordance  with  the  wish  of  the  meetincr 
.  .  .  I 

held  on  the  20th  inst.  at  this  place,  in  honor  and  respect 


li 


APPENDIX. 


383 


to  the  memory  of  your  departed  husband  and  our  friend, 
one  and  all :  I  herewith  enclose  you  a  copy  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  meeting  ;  please,  madam,  accept  it  in  the 
spirit  in  which  it  is  tendered,  for  really  it  is  of  friends 
met  to  mourn  and  to  deplore  the  loss  of  a  friend.  We 
are  perfectly  aware  that  no  one  can  replace  him  with  you, 
and  are  also  satisfied  that  no  one  will  or  can  replace  him 
in  the  affection  of  the  people  of  this  State,  nor  can  they 
have  a  more  faithful  friend  in  the  U.  S.  Senate. 

I  individually  join  in  the  public  feeling  expressed 
towards  your  dear  husband,  and  am  sorry  that  we  have 
been  called  to  meet  on  so  solemn  an  occasion ;  but, 
madam,  I  trust  he  has  gone  to  receive  the  reward  due 
his  virtues,  and  to  a  world  where  there  is  no  mourning. 
Please  accept  my  sincere  feeling  of  sorrow  c»n  this  occasion, 
and  believe  me  your  friend, 

S.  C.  GUIGNON. 


8 


'  ;i::ii 


a 


I  HI 


Ii 


1  ■   ' 


|ii; 


to 


At  a  promiscuous  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Boonville, 
Cooper  County,  Missouri,  convened  at  the  Court  House, 
on  Wednesday  evening  the  18th  of  October,  1843,  upon 
the  reception  of  authenticated  intelligence  of  the  death 
of  the  Hon.  Lewis  F.  Linn,  late  Senator  of  Missouri,  in 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  Gen.  Wm.  Shields 
was  called  to  the  chair,  and  Col.  James  Quarles  aj)p()inted 
secretary.  The  object  of  the  meeting  having  been  briefly 
and  appropriately  stated  by  the  chairman, 

On  motion  of  H.  W.  Crowther,  Esq.,  a  committee  of 
twelve  were  appointed  by  the  chair,  to  draft  a  preamble 
and  resolutions  expressive  of  the  sentiments  and  feelings 
of  this  community.  To  wit,  H.  W.  Crowther,  Thos.  J. 
Boggs,  D.  Spalir,  B.  Tompkins,  J.  D.  Blair,  B.  G.  Wil- 


384 


APPENDIX. 


km 


]  ^  I 


1 


IM 


'IS- 


son,  B.  W.  Sharp,  Chas.  Cope,  B.  Emmons  Ferry,  R.  P 
Bowman,  C.  H.  Smith,  and  John  Andrews. 

The  committee  retired,  and  after  a  short  inter\'al  re- 
turned, and  reported  by  Gen.  B.  Emmons  Ferr}^,  the  fol- 
lowing preamble  and  resolutions,  which  were  unanimously 
adopted.     To  wit : 

It  having  pleased  Divine  Providence  to  remove  from 
the  scene  of  his  labors  and  usefulness,  the  Hon.  Lewis  F. 
Linn,  one  of  the  Senators  of  the  United  States,  from  the 
State  of  Missouri ;  the  citizens  of  Boonville  and  vicinity, 
entertaining  a  just  regard  for  his  private  virtues,  and  dis- 
tinguished public  services,  and  penetrated  with  a  profound 
sense  of  the  loss  which  our  country  has  sustained  in  the 
death  of  one  her  most  able  and  patriotic  men,  unite  cor- 
dially with  their  fellow-citizens  throughout  the  State, 
in  paying  a  well-earned  tribute  to  his  memory. 

Therefore,  be  it  Itesolved  by  the  meeting,  That,  in 
the  death  uf  Dr.  Linn,  the  medical  profession,  which  he 
adorned  by  singular  and  unsurpassed  benevolence,  has 
been  deprived  of  one  of  its  most  accomplished  members, 
and  society  has  to  deplore  the  loss  of  one  whose  manly 
character,  relieved  by  the  most  winning  gentleness  and 
courtesy,  commanded  its  highest  respect,  and  made  him 
the  grace  and  charm  of  the  social  circle. 

Resolved,  That  in  his  political  conduct.  Dr.  Linn  was 
manly,  consistent  and  sincere,  qualities,  which,  while  they 
entitle  him  to  the  confidence  and  gratitude  of  his  party, 
win  also  for  him  the  r :  ipect  and  esteem  of  his  opponents. 

Itesolved,  That  the  able,  persevering,  and  successful 
exertions  of  Dr.  Linn  upon  the  Oregon  question,  have 
obtained  for  him  a  distinguished  rank  among  American 
statesmen,  while  from  the  magnitude  and  wide-reach- 
ing influences  of  the  interests  involved  in  the  question, 
they  give  him  a  just  claim  to  the  grateful  remembranco 


APPENDIX. 


385 


of  the  nation,  and  entitle  him  to  the  lasting  gratitude  of 
the  people  of  the  future  Kepublic  of  the  Far  West. 

Resolved,  That,  as  citizens  of  Missouri,  we  are  under 
a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  able  and  efficient  sei*- 
vices  of  Dr.  Linn  in  the  national  councils,  by  which 
mainly  the  cession  of  the  Platte  country  to  the  State  was 
achieved. 

Resolved,  That  to  the  family  and  relatives  of  the 
lamented  Linn,  we  offer  our  most  unfeignod  condolence 
for  this  sad  and  sudden  bereavement  of  their  household. 

Resolved,  That  these  proceedings  be  signed  by  the 
chairman  and  secretary  of  the  meeting,  and  that  a  copy 
of  the  same  be  transmitted  to  the  family  of  our  late  dis- 
tinguished Senator,  and  also  that  the  secretary  be  directed 
to  furnish  a  copy  to  the  editors  of  the  Missouri  Register 
and  Boonsville  Observer,  for  publication,  and  that  the 
other  papers  in  the  State  be  requested  to  publish  the 
same. 

On  motion  the  meeting  adjourned. 

Wm.  Shields,  Chairman. 

James  Quarles,  Secretary. 


'  h 


M  1 


'I.I 


I 


1? 


LETTEES  OF  CONDOLENCE. 


kco 


FROM   GENERAL   JACKSON. 

Hermitage,  October  IQth,  1843. 
My  DEAR  Friend, — I  have  just  received  the  Missouri 
Reporter,  which  contains  the  mournful  details  of  your  dear 
husband's,  and  my  revered  and  very  dear  friend's  death. 
With  a  heart  filled  with  the  deepest  sorrow,  I  affectionately 
tender  you  my  condolence  on  this  great  bereavement.  His 
26 


38G 


APPENDIX. 


I;  ■■> 


i  ,1 


VI- 


'    I 


iif 


lt)ss  to  you  find  your  dear  children  is  irropiirnl)le,  and  to 
his  country,  is  so  great,  in  the  council  of  our  nation  and 
society,  that  it  cannot  be  filled.  But,  my  dear  friend,  we 
arc  charged  by  our  blessed  Saviour,  to  mourn,  not  for  the 
dead,  but  for  the  living  ;  "  the  Lord  giveth  and  the  Lord 
takcth  away,  and  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  : "  he 
doeth  all  things  well,  although  we,  poor  frail  mortals, 
cannot  refrain  from  grief  on  such  afflicting  occasions.  He 
was  my  dearest  and  most  disinterested  friend,  and  as  long 
as  I  live  I  will  lament  his  untimely  death,  with  a  heart 
full  of  gratitude  and  love  for  his  sincere  and  warm  friend- 
shii)  for  me  ;  and  I  pray  to  tne  Lord  to  give  you  and  your 
children  strength  to  bear  this  awful  affliction.  But  peace  be 
to  his  name.  He  cannot  return  to  us,  my  dear  friend,  but 
let  us  prepare  to  meet  him  in  a  happy  immortality,  where 
the  wicked  cease  to  trouble  and  the  weary  arc  at  rest. 
My  afflictions  and  debility  admonish  me  that  i  shall 
follow  my  dear  friend  very  soon,  and  in  the  Lord's  good 
time,  I  1 101)0,  my  poor  sorrowing  friend,  that  you  and 
yours  may  join  us  in  a  better  world. 

My  dear  daughter  sends  you  her  sympathizing  love  ; 
she  desires  me  to  tell  you  that  she  would  write  to  you, 
but  she  is  in  great  affliction  herself,  having  ju^t  buried  a 
dear  interesting  babe.  All  my  household  unite  with  me 
in  sincere  antl  tender  condolence  to  you,  on  this  greatest 
bereavement  that  vou  could  receive.  Do  write  soon,  for 
you  know  that,  as  long  as  I  live,  I  will  feel  the  deepest 
interest  for  you  and  your  children,  and  when  your  mind 
becomes  composed  from  the  awful  shock  of  your  great 
affliction,  I  would  be  very  happy  if  you  would  come  and 
see  us,  and  bring  your  children  with  you.  The  Lord  bless 
you  and  them. 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

Andrew  Jackson. 

To  Elizabeth  A,  R.  Liun,  St.  Genevieve, 


H 


APPENDIX. 


387 


FROM    MR.  BUCHANAN. 

Lancastkr,  October  14th,  IS-t.S. 
My  dear  FrieNd, — Last  evening's  mail  brought  me  the 
oiiri  Reporter,  containing  the  mournful  intelligence 
of  your  dear  husband's  death.  I  can  scarcely  yet  recover 
from  the  dreadful  shock  ;  so  suddenly,  so  unexpectedly 
have  I  been  deprived  of  a  very  dear  friend,  who  held  as  high 
a  place  in  my  warmest  affections  as  any  other  living  man, 
that  I  can  yet  scarcely  realize  the  awful  truth.  He  was 
indeed  every  thing  which  constitutes  a  man,  mild  and 
amiable,  with  great  benevolence  of  heart ;  he  was  the  very 
soul  of  chivalry  and  honor,  possessing  uncommon  talents, 
and  extensive  information  ;  he  was  one  of  the  ablest  and 
most  useful  members  of  the  Senate,  and  vet  he  was  so 
unconscious  of  his  own  great  power,  his  loss  to  his  personal 
and  political  friends  in  that  body  is  irreparable.  No  man 
in  our  country  can  supply  his  jdace.  He  was  the  rock 
against  whose  firmness  the  storms  might  beat  and  beat 
in  vain,  and  he  was  ever  as  prompt  and  as  decided  in  sus- 
taining his  friends  in  the  hour  of  need,  as  in  defending 
himself ;  and  yet  in  him  the  elements  were  so  combined, 
that  his  political  opponents  were  his  warm  personal  friends, 
and  far  beyond  all  question,  he  was  the  most  popidar  man 
amongst  his  fellow  members  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States.  But  why  need  I  enlarge  upon  his  merits  and  his 
great  virtues  with  melancholy  pleasure  to  the  partner  of 
his  bosom,  who  enjoyed  his  most  devoted  affection,  and 
who  was  worthy  of  it  all.  It  is  to  express  my  deep,  my 
heartfelt  sympathy  for  her  irreparable  loss.  I  know  from 
her  great  strength  of  character  and  Christian  princii)les, 
that  she  will  not  suffer  her  mourning  for  the  dead  to  in- 
terfere with  her  duty  to  the  living,  neither  will  she  mourn  as 
one  without  hope.  I  know  that  he  possessed  true  religious 
feelings,  and  we  can  cherish  the  belief  that  he  is  now 


■  ti 


l**i  m 


W^ 


388 


APPENDIX. 


with  his  Kedeeiiier,  which,  after  all  the  toil  and  strife  of 
this  troublesome  world,  is  at  last  the  one  tiling  needful. 
She  will  live  for  the  instruction  and  benefit  of  the  pledges 
of  their  mutual  affection,  and  if  Providence  should  ever 
place  it  in  my  power  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to  her  or 
them,  I  shall  esteem  it  a  heartfelt  pleasure,  as  well  as  a 
sacred  duty  to  embrace  the  ojiportunity. 

I  hope  to  hear  from  you  very  soon,  and  if  it  is  not  too 
great  a  tax  on  your  feelings,  write  me  something  about 
my  dear  friend's  last  days  on  earth. 

With  sentiments  of  the  purest  respect  and  highest 
esteem,  I  remain  your  most  sincere  and  sympathizing 
friend, 

James  Buchanan. 

To  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  R.  Linn,  St.  Genevieve. 


t  !1 


FROM  THE    HON.  SILAS    WRIGHT. 

WASiiixaxoN  CiTV,  Senate  Chamber,  June  1th,  1843. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Linn, — My  good  wife  unites  with  me  in 
oifering  you  our  heartfelt  thanks  for  your  kindness  in  com- 
plying with  our  request,  to  give  us  some  account  of  the 
last  days  that  your  sainted  husband  passed  on  earth  ;  you 
do  not  know,  my  good  lady,  how  much  of  life  and  feeling 
that  you  throw  in  your  composition,  and  on  such  an  occa- 
sion as  that  we  have  called  from  you  the  ivlwle  picture  of 
affectionate  domestic  life,  of  sensible,  refined  feeling, 
tender  honor,  and  pure  integrity,  and  how  suddenly  and 
awfully  was  the  whole  enveloped  in  the  sable  mantle  of 
death  and  overwhelming  grief.  We  think  that  we  see  and 
feel  it  all,  and  cannot  speak  of  it  or  write  about  it  without 
bringing  on  ourselves  the  overpowering  affliction,  which 
belongs  to  Ida  last  day  on  earthy  and  I  feel  incapable  of 
writing  to  you  on  the  subject  as  I  should  do.     On  our 


APPENDIX. 


389 


assembling  here  this  session  of  Congress,  Mr.  Buchanan 
and  myself  found  the  name  of  a  stranger  upon  Dr.  Linn's 
seat  ;  we  both  felt  alike,  that  we  could  not  have  that  seat 
so  occupied,  and  I  went  to  the  Senator,  Mr.  Millei  of 
New  Jersey,  and  he  cheerfully  exchanged  with  me,  (  you 
remember,  the  Doctor's  seat  was  between  Mr.  Buchanan's 
and  mine  ?)  taking  my  seat  and  giving  me  the  Doctor's, 
which  I  have  occupied  this  session  ;  and  never  do  I  sit 
down  in  the  chair  or  open  the  draw  of  the  desk,  that  the 
memory  of  my  friend  is  not  fresh  in  my  mind,  and  his 
image  before  me  as  I  write  every  line  ;  it  appears  to  me 
that  I  certainly  can  see  him  by  raising  my  eyes  from  the 
paper,  and  so  far  from  feeling  any  of  that  awe  which  such 
impressions  have  usually  iimde  when  strongly  pressed 
upon  me,  ray  imagination  paints  nothing  but  the  intense 
desire  to  see  that  winning  smile,  meet  those  soft  black 
eyes,  and  hear  that  sweet  voice,  which  for  ten  years  met 
me  in  this  chamber,  and  contributed  so  much  to  my  hap- 
piness. This  has  been  a  most  disastrous  session  of  Con- 
gress to  me,  and  I  cannot  express  to  you  how  much  I 
have  missed  my  friend  ;  yet  you  can  and  will  understand 
better  than  any  other  person,  how  much  I  fed  his  loss, 
because  you  know  how  much  our  tastes,  habits  of  thought, 
and  manner  of  business  were  alike.  We  both  had  dear 
and  valued  friends  in  the  Senate,  but  not  such  friends 
as  possessed  the  intimacy  and  warmth  of  feeling  which 
existed  between  the  Doctor  and  myself.  Many  would  con- 
sider the  affection  that  bound  us  so  strongly  together  as 
childish,  but  we  knew  that  it  constituted  the  richest 
source  of  happiness,  for  the  heartiness  of  it  extended 
above  and  far  beyond  politics  or  party  feeling,  and  ce- 
mented our  friendship  with  the  most  profound  feelings  in 
human  nature.     To  be  deprived  of  my  friend  at  such  a 


!'!>^!lJ!  \ 


I'l 


f  5 


w 


890 


APPKNDIX. 


^j 


time,  when  I  was  lieavily  taxing  all  my  hiimhlo  ability  to 
siiistain,  with  other  friends,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  was  a  fearful 
Wow  to  me  ;  yon,  who  know  ray  sincere  attachment  to  Mr. 
B.,  can  well  imagine  my  great  disapiwintment  at  his  not 
being  sustained  by  the  Baltimore  Convention.  I  have 
watched,  with  great  pleasure,  the  conrso  taken  by  youi 
admirable  brother,  Dr.  Relfe,  and  the  two  Gen.  Dodges, 
in  the  midst  of  dark  intrigue,  frand  and  corruption  ;  the 
noble  relations  of  my  friend  and  yourself,  stood  firm  in 
their  principles,  fearless  of  all  consecpiences  to  themselves, 
and  maintained  with  imwearied  efforts,  their  noble  zeul  in 
the  cause  of  Democracy.  How  often,  in  reflecting  on  their 
admirable  course  of  conduct,  I  have  felt  how  proud  my 
friend  would  have  been  to  behold  it.  And  will  not  vou, 
my  poor  afflicted  friend,  take  pleasure  in  hearing  of  the 
noble  patriotic  conduct  of  relations  that  are  so  dear  to  you  ? 
and  I  know  that  you  will  take  a  mournful  satisfaction,  on 
learning  how  fully  his  country  aiipreciated  the  true  great- 
ness of  your  husband's  character.  When  the  Democratic 
Convention  discovered  that  it  was  not  possible  to  nomi- 
nate Mr.  Van  Buren  for  the  Presidency,  there  was  a  unan- 
imous expression  throughout  that  body,  that,  were  the 
lamented  Linn  now  alive,  they  would  not  hesitate  to 
nominate  him  for  the  Presidency  ;  for,  without  the  least 
doubt,  he  was  the  most  popular  man  in  the  Democratic 
party.  His  fine  talents,  the  noble  and  energetic  course 
that  he  had  taken  on  the  Oregon  question,  with  the  de- 
voted friendship  of  Gen.  Jackson,  would  surely  carry  him 
in  triumph  into  the  Presidential  Chair, — But  an  all-wise 
Providence  has  removed  him  to  a  better  world,  and  al- 
though we  must  ever  mourn  his  loss,  we  should  strufwle 
not  to  murmur  at  the  will  of  God.  Mrs.  Wright's  health 
is  better  than  usual ,  she  sends  you  and  your  cliildren 


APPENDIX. 


391 


many  aiFcctionato  regards.     Wlicn  I  reach  my  quiet  home, 
I  will  write  to  you  one  of  my  long  old-fashioned  letters. 

Your  sincerely  sympathizing  friend, 

Silas  Whioht. 

To  Mrs.  E.  A.  R.  Linn,  St.  Genevieve. 


FROM   THE    HON.    RICHARD  M.    J0HN80X. 

White  Suli'iiur,  Scott  CotiNTv,  Kv. 

December  2bth,  1813. 
Mrs.  Linn. 

My  dear  friend, — Having  just  returned  home  in  good 
health,  after  an  absence  of  ninety-one  days,  I  cannot  omit 
even  now,  the  attem])t  of  expressing  the  overwhelming 
sorrow  which  I  feel'on  the  sudden  death  of  my  friend  and 
your  loved  companion.  Dr.  Lewis  F.  Linn.  If  such  a 
loss  can  he  so  deeply  felt  and  acknowledged  hy  his  coun- 
try and  those  who  enjoyed  his  friendship,  how  much  more 
afflicting  nmst  he  the  sorrow  of  one  who  knew  him  as  her 
bosom  friend.  Words  are  not  here  necessary  to  convince 
you  how  sincerely  I  regret  your  great  bereavement,  and 
most  truly  do  I  condole  with  you  in  your  sorrow.  I  shall 
ever  remember  with  a  grateful  heart,  his  friendship  blended 
with  yours,  to  me,  and  hold  myself  ever  ready  when  in 
my  power  to  serve  you.  Except  yourself  and  family,  no 
one  has  met  with  a  greater  loss  than  myself,  as  I  felt  for 
him  the  affection  of  a  brother.  I  should  do  injustice  to 
the  subject  and  my  own  feelings,  to  say  less. 

Wishing  you  every  blessing  that  life  can  bestow,  I  am 
most  respectfully  your  friend, 

KicHARD  M.  Johnson. 


FROM    MR.    CLAY. 

St.  Louis,  April  17th,  1846. 
My  dear  Madam, — In  the  expectation  of  leaving  this 


\^$ 


I  ^1 


392 


APPENDIX. 


:  I 


■;?* 


\ 

i 

i  \ 

I:: 

^^K  ' 

city  in  a  few  hours  for  Kentucky,  I  called  to  see  you  this 
morninj;  to  1)1(1  you  farewell,  and  was  very  much  disap- 
pointed in  not  finding  you  at  home,  as  I  desired  to  again 
express  to  you  my  high  satisfaction  in  meeting  you  here, 
and  renewing  the  agreeahlc  intercourse  which  I  enjoyed  in 
your  society  in  Washington  city,  and  I  also  wished  once 
more,  to  assure  you  of  my  deep  sympathy  and  condolence 
on  account  of  your  great  hereavement.  I  am  thankful 
that  Providence  tempers  your  heavy  affliction  with  cir- 
cumstances of  consolation  in  your  promising  children. 
From  what  I  have  heard  of  your  son,  I  hope  that  he  will 
maintain  and  add  to  the  reputation  of  his  father,  who 
was  a  bright  ornament  to  the  highest  council  in  our  coun- 
try, while  his  exalted  benevolence  made  him  a  benefactor 
to  the  afflicted,  and  his  warm  social  qualities  imparted  a 
charm  to  society,  which  was  more  deeply  felt  than  could 
be  expressed. 

Wishing  you  health,  happiness,  and  lengthened  days, 
I  am,  dear  madam,  your  sincere  friend, 

H.  Clay. 


FROM   MARTIN    VAN    BUREN,    EX-PRESIDENT   U.    S. 

LiNDENWALD,  Nov.  \Mh,  1843. 
Many  and  sincere  thanks  to  you,  my  dear  afflicted 
friend,  for  your  kind  message  and  the  accompanying 
paper,  containing  a  brief  sketch  of  the  last  moments  of 
our  departed  and  much  valued  friend.  Be  assured,  that 
the  whole  country  sympathizes  with  you  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely, in  the  great  loss  which  both  have  sustained.  The 
fame  which  your  lamented  husband  had  already  acquired, 
was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  wishes  of  his  friends,  and  did 
honor  to  his  State  and  country  ;  but  it  still  fell  far  short 
of  that  to  which  he  would  have  risen,  could  his  valuable 


APPENDIX. 


393 


life  have  been  spared  ft  few  years  to  you.  There  is  not  in 
my  ju(l«i;raent,  a  puhHc  man  in  the  country,  whose  im- 
provement was  more  rapid,  or  whose  future  pros[)ects  wero 
brighter.  But  Providence  lias  decided  otherwise,  and  it 
is  our  duty  to  submit  to  His  decrees  without  nuirniuring. 
That  this,  difficult  as  it  is,  will  by  you  be  performed  to 
the  uttermost  of  human  power,  no  one  as  conversnnt  with 
the  strength  of  your  mind,  and  the  elevation  of  your  prin- 
ciples as  I  am,  will  for  a  moment  doubt. 

I  shall  ever  remember  with  melancholy  satisfaction, 
the  short  visit  it  was  my  good  fortime  to  receive  from  him, 
last  summer,  and  which  he  promised  soon  to  repeat. 

Remember  me  most  affectionately  to  your  bereaved 
children,  and  be  assured,  that  you  and  they,  will  always 
find  a  sincere  friend,  in  your  obedient  servant  and  friend, 

M.  Van  Buren. 
To  Mrs.  E.  A.  R.  Linn. 


!  ,1 


...  'I 


FROM    HON.    C.    G.   ATHERTON. 

Nashua,  N.  II.,  October  ISth,  1843. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Linn, — Mrs.  Athertonand  myself  have 
been  inexpressibly  shocked  at  seeing  in  a  Boeton  paper  of 
to-day,  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Linn.  From  the 
effect  this  event  has  produced  on  us,  who  had  the  pleasure 
of  counting  ourselves  among  the  number  of  liis  friends,  we 
can  appreciate  in  a  remote  degree,  the  terrible  severity  with 
which  it  must  have  fallen  on  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  and  on 
the  children  of  his  love.  We  will  not  attempt  to  suggest 
those  topics  of  consolation  which  would  bid  you  strive  to 
overcome  such  an  affliction  ;  but  trust,  that,  with  the 
assistance  of  that  fortitude  of  character,  and  reliance  on 
Divine  Providence,  so  eminently  yours.  Time,  the  com- 
forter, will  soften  the  sharp  and  now  almost  insupi)ortable 


i  "m 


i:a 


V% 


b94 


APPENDIX. 


f, 


w 


pang  of  your  sorrow,  into  a  melancholy  but  pleasing  recol- 
lection of  tlie  noble  and  amiable  qualities  of  your  deceased 
husband.  That  manly  form, — that  countenunce  radiant 
with  genius,  those  eyes,  beaming  with  intelligence  and 
spirit,  and  at  the  same  time  with  kindness  and  benevo- 
lence— they  are  a^^  present  to  our  minds.  His  varied  and 
deliglitful  conversation, — his  exquisite  taste, — his  graceful 
manners,  his  love  of  truth,  and  scorn  of  all  dissimulation) 
and  hy])ocrisy,  his  heart,  that  never  seemed  to  know  any 
other  than  tlie  noblest  impulses  —these  are  with  us  still. 
They  can  never  be  taken  away  from  the  recollections  of 
any  that  once  knew  liim. 

Mrs.  Atherton  would  write  to  you  herself,  but  has 
been  for  several  weeks  quite  ill,  from  the  effects  of  a  se- 
vere cough.     She  sends  her  warmest  love  and  sympathy, 

I  cannot  conclude  without  expressing  my  sense  of  the 
loss  which  the  public  have  sus-tained.  The  loss  of  such  a 
man  at  any  time,  would  be  greatly  regretted  on  puljlic 
considerations  ;  but  it  is  particularly  to  be  lamented  in 
times  like  the  present,  when  men  of  his  firmness  and 
integrity,  and  weight  of  character,  are  so  important  in 
their  influence  for  good  on  our  country. 

It  was  one  of  the  most  gratifying  anticipations  con- 
nected with  the  senatorial  term  for  which  I  am  elected, 
that  I  should  have  the  pleasure  of  listeni  ig  to  Dr.  Linn 
in  public,  and  enjoying  his  companionship  in  private. 
And  in  feeling  how  much  I  have  lost  myself,  let  me  again 
assure  you  of  my  condolence  in  your  heavy  bereavement. 

Remember  me  aftectionately  to  Augustus,  and  believe 
me,  my  dear  madam,  your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

C.  Gr.  Atherton. 
To  Mrs.  E.  A.  R.  Linn. 


APPENDIX. 


395 


FROM   HON.    JOHN   HENDERSON. 

Pass  Christian,  IIauuison  Co.,  Mississippi, 

Nov.  bth,  1843. 

Dear  Madam, — It  has  been  with  iinaifectecl  sorrow 
that  I  have  heard  of  your  sudden  bereavement,  in  the 
loss  of  your  honored  and  wortliy  husband.  Regardless  of 
political  differences,  there  was  scarcely  another  member  of 
the  U.  S,  Senate,  for  whom  I  entertained  a  more  cordial 
attachment.  And  perhaps  there  is  no  other  one  remain- 
ing who  had  won  for  himself,  of  those  politically  opposed 
to  him,  so  much  of  personal  regard.  And  this  was  the 
more  honorable,  as  all  know  who  knew  him,  that  he  gained 
nothing  of  private  favor,  by  any  concession  or  compro- 
mise of  his  j)rinciples. 

Were  it  here  appropriate  to  speak  of  his  public  worth, 
— ^my  private  opinion,  thus  privately  expressed,  however 
complimentary,  would  be  but  cold  and  heartless  sympathy 
in  the  deep  affliction  with  which  your  heart  must  be  pene- 
trated. Testimonials  of  public  esteem  you  will  doubtless 
see  recorded  to  his  memory, — but  ^laught  but  time  can 
heal  the  secret  grief  from  such  affliction.  While  yet  de- 
pressed by  aU  the  gloomy  concomitants  of  your  recent 
calamity — while  pangs  of  sorrow,  seemingly  inconsolable, 
are  yet  brooding  in  fresh  anguish  upon  your  si)irits, — I 
know,  my  dear  madam,  of  how  little  avail  are  words  of 
condolence.  But  that  little  is  to  soothe  and  mitigate  in 
some  degree,  the  severest  of  earthly  sufferings.  And  to 
this  end,  the  profoundest  sympathies  of  Mrs.  Henderson 
and  myself,  are  tendered  you  in  all  sincerity. 

With  considerations  of  esteem,  I  am  yours,  &c. 

John  Henderson. 

To  Mrs.  E.  A.  R.  Linn. 


M 

if] 


I'  1 


396 


APPENDIX. 


;!  ' 


>}'' 


FROM  HON.  W.  S.  ARCHER. 

Washington,  Feb.  3d,  1844. 

My  dear  Madam, — A  painful  and  most  protracted 
disease  has  prevented  the  execution  of  my  purpose,  before 
getting  your  enclosure,  some  weeks  ago,  even  at  the  haz- 
ard of  an  undue  obtrusion  on  your  distress,  of  conveying 
to  you  the  sincere  expression  of  my  condolence  on  your 
great  and  irreparable,  and  my  severe  bereavement,  re- 
cently sustained. 

I  offer  no  exhortation  on  the  duty  of  resignation  to 
decrees,  which  it  is  not  allotted  to  our  province  to  scan 
(still  loss  to  question),  nor  any  hope  of  speedy  consolation, 
I  know  too  well  the  magnitude  of  your  loss  and  your  ap- 
preciation of  that  loss,  to  indulge  the  hope  that  such 
topics  would  be  of  avail.  Resignation  comes  from  time, 
consolation  from  the  hand  which  can  alone  eifectively  raise 
up  the  trodden  down  by  calamity,  and  pour  the  healing 
balm  into  the  wounds  of  the  deeply  aflfiicted. 

This  resignation  and  this  consolation,  I  do  not  permit 
myself  to  doubt,  are  destined  to  be  your  portion.  They 
will  be  sent  to  you  through  the  reward  of  those  affections,- 
to  carry  to  which  I  know  you  are  going  to  devote  your 
time  and  faculties,  to  impress  on  your  children  both 
reverence  and  resemblance  of  their  father.  I  could  invoke 
for  them  no  more  favorable  destiny  than  the  last  of  these 
results,  and  sincere  is  the  satisfaction  which  it  would  bring 
to  me  to  learn  of  the  realization.  It  can  be  no  ill  wish 
even  for  my  little  favorite  Mary,  that  she  may  resemble  a 
character  in  which  the  lion  lay  down  with  the  lamb  spirit 
was  embodied  and  kept  controlled  by  divine  grace, 

I  cannot  forbear  to  add,  that  the  usage  of  the  Senfite 
not  permitting  more  than  two  persons  to  be  heard  on  the 
occasion  of  obituary  notices,  and  the  second  to  Col.  Benton 


APPENDIX. 


397 


having  been  selected  with  propriety  from  his  native  State, 
I  was  deprived  of  the  satisfaction  I  should  have  fjiind 
in  giving  expression  to  my  own  fjelings,  separately  from 
the  expression  which  was  given  by  the  Body  generally. 
It  only  remains  for  me,  dear  lady,  to  express  the  good 
wishes  for  your  continued  health  and  restoration  to  happi- 
ness— with  which  I  am  most  sincerely  your  friend, 

Wm.  S.  Archer. 
Mrs.  E.  A.  R.  Linn. 


P} 


FROM  GEN.    E.  P.  GAINES. 


Franklin,  Tennessee,  October  Slst,  184:3. 
My  dear  Madam, — My  wife  and  myself  have  learned, 
with  deep  affliction,  the  sad  bereavement  you  have  sus- 
tained in  the  sudden,  the  premature  death  of  your  excellent 
and  beloved  husband.  If  the  heartfelt  homage  of  admira- 
tion of  his  countrymen  could  soothe  the  sufferings  of  those 
most  dear  to  him  in  his  own  Missouri,  their  afflictions 
should  be  light,  as  their  sources  of  mournful  consolation 
are  abundant.  It  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  few  men  in 
America,  and  certainly  no  one  west  of  the  mountains,  to 
depart  this  life  more  admired  or  more  lamented  by  the 
people  of  the  United  States,  than  Doctor  L.  F.  Linn. 
The  name  of  the  village  at  which  I  write  reminds  me  of 
an  impression  which  our  journey  to  Washington  some 
years  past,  affording  me  an  opportunity  of  the  first  in- 
timate personal  acquaintance  with  our  deceased  friend  and 
yourself,  that  there  was  a  striking  similarity  in  the  minds 
and  moral  sentiments  of  Doctors  Linn  and  Franklin. 
They  were  indeed  alike  in  many  respects.  They  wore  both 
nature's  noblemen.  If  the  people  of  America,  as  I  am 
sure  the  people  of  the  West  and  South,  will  long  mourn 


ii" 


W'<^ 


II' 


l:  U 


898 


APPENDIX. 


the  loss  of  their  talented  friend  and  patriotic  Senator,  how 
much  more  deeply  must  his  bereaved  family  and  neighbors, 
and  his  immediate  constituents,  partake  of  the  heart- 
rending affliction. 

My  wife  and  myself  desire  to  unite  in  offering  to  you 
and  your  family  the  slender  but  sincere  tribute  of  that 
condolence  which  springs  from  the  heart  of  friendship. 
Our  experience,  however,  assures  us  that  the  condolence 
of  friends  in  sucli  cases  is  unavailing.  Time  alone,  added 
to  tlie  consolations  which  the  Christian  religion  holds  forth 
to  the  virtuous  and  the  wise,  can  heal  the  wounds  inflicted 
on  an  affectionate  heart  by  the  sudden  loss  of  such  a 
friend. 

Time  has  effected  for  me  what  I  trust  it  will  ere  lonjr 
accomplish  fui  you  and  your  amiable  Mary  and  your  noble- 
hearted  Augustus,  and  every  other  member  of  your  family. 
I  have  reasoned  thus  : — If  we  were  truly  loved  by  those 
we  have  lost — and  that  we  were  so  loved,  ten  tliousand 
proofs  rise  up  in  the  reminiscences  of  a  single  day  or  an 
hour,  that  pure  love  ever  watching  over  and  sustaining  us 
as  a  guardian  angel,  could  not  but  embrace  and  sanction 
whatever  moral  or  religious  remedy  is  essential  or  proper 
to  the  restoration  of  our  health  and  happiness  here  and 
hereafter. 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  assure  you,  my  amiable 
friend,  for  myself  and  my  wife,  that  it  will  be  to  us  a  source 
of  much  satisfaction  to  be  always  recognized  by  you  and 
your  family  as  your  firm  and  unwavering  friends  ;  and 
when,  as  we  hope  soon  to  have  a  house  and  a  permanent 
residence  in  St.  Louis,  we  shall  take  constant  pleasure  in 
affording  you  better  proofs  than  we  can  in  this  way  impart, 
of  our  desire  and  talent  for  restoring  you  to  that  social 
mood  whicli  hao  so  often  contributed  to  the  happiness  of 
all  who  had  the  pleasure  of  your  daily  attention  in  the 


v.. }  ! 


APPENDIX. 


399 


same  draioing-room  and  at  the  same  mess-tahh  for  a 
winter  in  Washington  :  a  winter  replete  with  festive  and 
social  enjoyments,  for  a  large  share  of  which  Mrs.  Gaines 
and  myself  were  indebted  to  you  and  your  lamented 
husband.     We  are,  dear  madam, 

With  afifectionate  respect,  your  friends, 

Edmund  Pendleton  Gaines. 


ft. 


A   FUNERAL    DISCOURSE 


ON  THi:  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER  OF  THE  HON.  LEWIS  FIELD 
LIXN,  DELIVERED  BEFORE  THE  CIITZENS  OF  ST.  LOUIS,  AT 
THEIR  REQUEST,  OX  SUNDAY,  THE  19TH  DAY  OF  NOVEMBER, 
1843,    IJY   REV.   JOHN   U.    LINN. 


ril 


le 
3e 


With  the  nation  at  large  we  are  called  upon  to  lament 
a  very  afflictive  public  bereavement,  in  the  death  of  a 
great  and  good  man.  Dr.  Lewis  Field  Linn,  endeared  to  us 
by  the  important  public  services  that  crowned  his  life,  and 
by  the  many  virtues  that  so  eminently  adorned  his  private 
character. 

But  we  mourn  his  departure  from  among  us  the  more, 
because  the  inscrutable  event  has  overtaken  us  at  a  time 
when  we  looked  not  for  it, — when  from  the  past  we  were 
looking  with  eager  anticipation  to  still  more  important 
services  ;  when  it  seemed  certain  to  all  that  much  benefit 
to  our  common  country,  and  to  the  interests  of  our  wide- 
spreading  Valley  especially,  was  about  to  ensue  from  his 
personal  exertions  ;  when  all  eyes  and  all  hearts  were  turned 
to  hhn,  with  a  quickened  impulse  and  enlarged  desires. 

In  these  circumstances — how  suddenly  !  in  a  moment  ! 
have  all  these  hopes  been  blasted  by  the  melancfioly, 


^  I 


400 


APPENDIX. 


:, 


l»: 


m 


'S 


I. 


withering  intelligence — not  that  Dr.  Linn  was  sick,  dying 
— but  dead,  buried. 

It  is  not  for  weak,  erring  mortals,  like  us,  to  murmur 
at  a  dispensation  so  dark  and  mysterious  as  the  abrupt  ex- 
tinction of  this  steadily  burning  light  in  the  moral  and 
in  the  political  world.  But,  while  this  event  has  come 
down  upon  us,  at  noonday,  like  the  drapery  of  midnight, 
we  see  upon  its  ample  folds  the  sublime  truth  written  with 
the  finger  of  Heaven — "  It  is  of  the  Lord." 

The  loss  we  have  sustained  is  as  unspeakable  as  it  is 
unexpected.  It  has  created  a  void  in  our  community  and 
a  chasm  in  our  affections  and  attachments,  which  we  can 
never  hope  to  have  supplied.  He  was  not  one  of  those 
ordinary  men,  who  may  disappear  from  the  stage  of  life, 
without  being  missed  or  regretted,  beyond  the  circle  of 
their  private  acquaintance,  and  whose  place  can  be  easily 
supplied  from  the  circle  they  have  left  behind.  Nor  is 
it  scarce  enough  to  say,  that  he  belonged  to  that  more 
limited  class,  whose  abilities,  education,  and  influence  have 
given  them  a  position  in  the  world  that  few  can  hope  to 
attain  ;  but  in  the  combination  of  intellectual  and  moral 
worth,  he  stood  among  contemporaries,  like  Saul  among 
the  hosts  of  Israel.  He  occupied  a  place  which  nothing 
but  intellectual  strength  and  moral  greatness  could  have 
enabled  him  to  secure,  and  maintain  to  the  day  of  his 
death  ;  and  we  may  affirm  that  among  those  who  can 
discern  the  tilings  that  differ,  who  know  how  to  appreciate 
intellectual  vigor,  moral  worth,  honest  independence,  prac- 
tical usefulness,  real  learning,  disinterested  generosity,  and 
inflexible  integrity,  no  man  was  more  highly  or  more  justly 
esteemed  while  he  lived,  or  more  deeply  regretted  when 
he  died. 

To  give  any  suitable  delineation  of  him,  is  a  task  to 
^,.  ufch  I  confess  my  inadequacy.     I   was  not  privileged 


'"^.M 


APPENDIX. 


401 


with  his  friendship,  and  with  his  acquaintance  only  i)ar- 
tially.  If  I  had  known  him,  I  could  not  si)eak  of  him 
as  he  ought  to  he  spoken  of.  I  could  not  speak  of  him 
as  you  would  justly  expect.  I  could  not  speak  as  my 
own  heart  would  ardently  wish  ;  I  could  not  speak  as 
others,  who — I  will  not  say  have  loved  him  more,  for  thou- 
sands who  have  not  known  him  personally,  have  not  loved 
him  the  less,  hut  who  possess  more  competency — could 
and  would  have  spoken  of  him.  This  inahility  I  regret 
the  less,  hecause  his  character,  in  all  its  aspects,  was 
familiar  to  your  minds.  You  knew  him  well ;  you  loved 
him  dearly  ;  you  venerated  him  highly.  Many  of  you  re- 
cognized in  him  the  warm,  devoted,  unchanging  personal 
friend.  Many  of  your  fathers  and  mothers  he  has  visited 
in  the  hour  of  sickness  and  attended  their  dying  heds  ; 
and  when  skill  and  attention  were  unable  to  save,  the 
sympathies  of  his  generous  nature  proved  unfailing. 

I  hardly  need  tell  you  his  character.  It  had  a  length 
and  breadth  about  it,  which  made  it  obvious  to  all. 
Nothing  hidden  or  equivocal — all  wide-open,  candid,  ma- 
jestic. There  was  a  magnanimity,  a  strength,  a  fnlness, 
a  freshness,  an  originality  about  his  modes  of  thinking  and 
acting,  which  were  as  eminent  to  the  eye  of  observation 
as  the  lineaments  of  his  broad  and  benevolent  face.  We 
employ,  too,  because  of  its  appropriateness,  the  language 
of  a  writer,  whose  success  in  describing  character  has  been 
unparalleled  in  the  world  of  letters  : 


V;9 


ii 


•  tr 


IN 


"  This  was  the  noblest  Roman  of  them  all : 
His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  elements 
So  mixed  in  him,  that  nature  might  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world — thin  was  a  man." 

As  you  are  informed  through  the  public  papers.  Dr. 
Linn  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.     He  was  born  in  the  year 
26 


rr-.'ii-  N.  VV.  History  Dspt. 

•  ■•tOVir-JClAU   LI3RARY 
VICTORIA,  B.  0. 


402 


APPENDIX. 


11' 

f  i ' 


,  ..-i  : 


llli 


1795,  about  four  miles  from  the  City  of  Lauisvillc.  Tiie 
eiitcrj)riHing  spirit  of  liis  grand-parents  had  carried  them 
in  advance  of  civilization.  In  tlie  defence  of  the  frontier 
settlements  from  Indian  aggression,  and  in  the  organization 
of  civil  and  social  society,  they  were  required  to  act  a  con- 
S2)icuou3  i)art.  His  mother  was  born  in  the  town  of  Car- 
lisle, in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  emigrating  to 
Kentucky  at  an  early  period,  was  married  to  Israel  Dodge. 
She  was  subsequently  married  to  Ashael  Linn,  and  Lewis 
was  the  second  of  three  children  by  that  marriage. 
Though  but  a  boy  at  the  decease  of  his  father,  in  the 
iiousehold  he  had  been  carefully  taught  the  pioneer  virtues 
of  industry,  frankness,  honesty  and  firmness,  and  there 
mind  and  body  were  attaining  their  wonted  vigor  together. 

Such  a  period  in  society  might  be  thought  by  some 
unfavorable  to  the  improvement  or  development  of  in- 
tellect, but  in  this  community  it  will  not  be  regarded  as 
without  its  advantages.  If  to  such  a  place  you  transport 
the  little  community  of  an  educated  domestic  circle,  and 
supply  it  with  the  inventions,  discoveries  and  histories  of 
man,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  wisdom  of  the  head  as 
well  as  the  heart  would  not  more  expand  than  in  the 
associations  of  dense  society.  In  a  school  where  the 
hardier  graces  of  a  man  were  taught  at  a  period  eminently 
favorable  to  the  production  of  a  sim})le,  resolute  and 
elevated  character,  Senator  Linn  had  his  birth  and  educa- 
tion. 

At  that  time  Kentucky  was  a  border  country.  The 
emigrant's  axe  was  just  claiming  its  lirst  trophies.  The 
yell  of  the  savage  had  not  yet  died  away  upon  the  distant 
forest,  A  way  had  not  been  opened  to  refinement.  The 
soil  had  not  yet  been  taxed  to  supply  the  imaginary  wants 
of  human  society,  for  such  demands  are  few  and  simple, 
and  always  readily  and  abundantly  supplied.     The  riotings 


if! 


APPENDIX. 


403 


Tlie 

The 
rants 
Inple, 
Itings 


and  excesses  of  liixnry  were  nut  known,  and  no  contribu- 
tions for  its  insatiate  appetite  had,  as  yet,  heen  levied. 
The  high  claims  of  lionor,  hehl  sacred  and  inviohite,  and 
not  the  mere  restrictions  of  Liw,  regulated  tlie  intercourse 
of  man  with  his  fellow.  The  monuments  of  nature  stood 
undefaced  by  the  aggressions  of  society,  the  mis-styled  tri- 
umphs of  man. 

There,  breathing  an  atmosphere  uncontaminated  by 
the  baleful  presence  of  oppression  and  docoitfidness,  of 
fraud  and  force,  his  manly  and  chivalric  spirit  flourished 
on  the  food  afforded,  and  assimilated  more  and  more  to 
the  objects  of  its  contcmplati(m.  Inclined  to  study  and 
reflection,  his  walk,  if  not  with  God,  was  among  the  sub- 
lime and  ennobling  forms  of  his  greatness.  Upon  the  vast 
prairie  he  stood,  and  along  the  banks  of  thebeautifid  Ohio 
he  wandered,  feeling  not  only  the  existence,  but  the 
presence  of  his  and  their  Creator.  Thus  attended,  thus 
surrounded,  he  advanced  towards  the  era  of  majority. 
We  claim  for  him  no  academic  or  collegiate  honors  ;  for 
Academies  and  Colleges  were  then  scarce  thought  of  in  the 
country  west  of  the  Alleghanies  ;  but  even  at  that  period 
his  intellect  may  be  thought  worthy  a  comparison  with 
those  who  may  be  regarded  as  favored  with  more  imposing 
facilities.  Superior  in  strength  and  singleness  of  purpose, 
and  in  the  dignity  of  his  whole  moral  character,  it  only 
remained  to  be  tried  whether  his  mind  had  capacity  to 
take  high  intellectual  rank. 

At  the  requisite  age,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine 
under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Gait,  of  Louisville,  Ky.  ; 
and  it  Avas  there  that  he  made  more  extensively  those  ac- 
quisitions, not  only  in  science,  but  in  the  habits  of  study, 
which  often  lie  at  the  foundation  of  character  as  subse- 
quently developed,  but  which  so  eminently  qualified  him 
for  future  usefulness.     At  the  request  of  his  half  brother, 


'^; 


:! 

■J 


if 


!!fi 


ir.!i 


404 


APPENDIX. 


'' 


,.■'< 


fit 

it! 


Henry  Dodge,  the  present  Delcgnte  from  tlie  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  lie  visited  tlie  then  Territory  of  Missouri,  as 
early  as  1812.  He  returned,  however,  to  Kentucky  t(^ 
resume  the  study  of  his  profession,  and  when  prepared 
to  practise,  revisited  and  settled  in  St.  Genevieve  ahout 
the  year  1815.  From  that  time  to  the  period  when  he 
was  appointed  one  of  the  Commissioners  under  the  Act 
of  Congress,  of  9th  of  July,  1832,  to  investigate  and  re- 
port on  the  French  and  Spanish  claims,  he  devoted  himself 
with  great  assiduity  to  the  study  and  practice  of  his  i)ro- 
fession. 

Warm  and  generous  in  his  friendships,  none  could 
surpass  him  in  sympathy  for  tlie  atHictod  and  suffering, 
and  thus  controlled,  his  attentions  were  unremitting.  To 
skill  that  was  seldom  hafflcd,  there  was  added  this  essen- 
ti.al  qualification  of  a  successful  physician — a  benevolent 
heart  ;  a  heart  that  feels  his  patient's  pain  as  if  it  were 
his  own  ;  that  looks  on  the  woe-stricken  countenance  of  a 
wife,  and  resolves  that,  if  possible,  she  shall  be  saved  from 
the  desolateness  of  widowhood  ;  that  looks  on  weeping 
children  and  resolves  that  no  energy  shall  be  spared  in 
saving  them  from  the  orphan's  destitution  ;  that  looks  at 
a  father's  and  mother's  anguish,  and  resolves  that,  God 
assisting,  he  will  save  their  child. 

It  was  the  enthusiasm  of  this  benevolence  that  diifused 
over  the  whole  character  of  Dr.  Linn  a  sacred  splendor — 
adorned  and  imbued  his  whole  behavior.  Never  did  the 
love  of  ease,  or  study,  or  friends,  present  a  single  tempta- 
tion to  confine  him  to  his  books,  or  detain  him  Aviiu  the 
society  of  his  companions,  or  at  the  convivial  feast,  when 
he  should  be  watching  by  the  couch  of  sickness.  His 
manners,  always  natural  and  easy,  rendered  him  not  only 
accessible  to  all,  but  so  prepossessing  and  delightfid  that 
it  was  absolutely  impossible  for   any,  however   circum- 


*:.  f 


APPENDIX. 


405 


stanccd  in  life,  to  feel  uneasy  or  restless  in  his  company. 
Hence  the  most  unreserved  confidence  always  subsisted 
between  him  and  his  patients  ;  and  the  menKuials  of  his 
tenderness  and  skill  are  to  he  found  in  the  grateful  recol- 
lections of  all  classes  of  society,  in  the  entire  southern 
portion  of  our  State.  For,  however  much  dissimilar  views 
upon  relip;ion  and  politics  may  affect  the  state  of  society 
generally,  it  never  lost  Dr.  Linn  one  friend,  or  made  him 
less  studious  or  anxious  ahout  their  wants. 

His  rej)Utation  as  a  physician  had  become  so  extensive, 
and  the  demands  upon  him  so  frequent — and  he  was  One 
of  those  to  whom  an  ajipeal  was  never  made  in  vain — 
that  apprehensions  in  relation  to  his  health,  from  fatigues 
and  exposures,  induced  him  to  accept  the  appointment  of 
Connnissioner,  under  the  Act  of  July,  1832.  To  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  his  office,  he  removed  to  this  city,  in 
June,  1833,  and  though  the  practice  of  his  profession  was 
not  entirely  abandoned  at  this,  or  any  sul)soquent  period, 
we  find  him  entering  a  theatre  upon  which  he  not  only 
sustained  himself  creditablv,  but  secured  an  enviable  dis- 
tinction. 

It  Was  said  by  a  celebrated  Athenian  commander, 
that  it  was  a  reproach  to  a  General  to  have- it  to  say  of 
any  event — "  I  had  not  expected  it."  Such  censure  could 
seldom  attach  to  Senator  Linn.  The  success  of  all  that 
ho  undertook,  evinced  the  versatility  of  his  mind  and  the 
energy  of  his  whole  character  ;  and  if  in  the  political 
world  he  had  loft  no  other  monument  of  his  wisdom  and 
prudence,  than  recommending  the  policy  to  be  pursued  by 
the  Government  of  the  United  States,  in  confirming 
grants  to  the  French  and  Spanish  claimants,  he  would 
have  been  entitled  to  a  high  place  among  sound  and  prac- 
tical financiers.  But  having  thus  been  thrown  within  the 
confines  of  political  life,  without  design  on  his  part,  un- 


it''f 


r:h 


400 


APPKNDIX. 


I 
W 

m 


Ml 


w 


irapcllecl  ])y  ambition,  ami  uncontrollecl  by  Holfislincss, 
a  wider  splicre  of  usefulness  was  opening  l)eli»re  liini. 

It  is  said  that  the  liistory  of  our  free  institutions  is 
contained  in  the  l>iograj»hy  of  the  great  men  who  conduct 
State  aftairs,  and  as  examples  of  integrity  and  intellect 
are  frccpient  or  rare  in  living  patriots,  so  will  he  the  dura- 
tion or  decay  of  Republics.  National  character  de])end8 
upon  individual  excmidifications.  Polished  Greece  and 
Imperial  Home  owe  their  distinction  to  the  sovereignty  of 
Genius  ;  and  to  their  poets,  phihisojdiers,  legislators,  his- 
torians and  heroes,  they  have  chained  their  immortality. 
The  glory  or  shame  of  nations,  then,  is  established  by 
individuals,  not  by  masses  that  pass  in  solemn  review 
before  ])0sterity.  "  Nothing,"  says  the  same  writer,  "  tends 
more  to  the  preservation  of  a  nation's  untarnished  honor 
in  every  trial,  jjcrliaps  nothing  so  cftcctually  nerves  him 
for  the  greatest  human  exertion  for  his  country,  more  than 
that  he  will,  after  all  is  over  in  the  tomb,  receive  not  only 
the  justice,  but  the  chaplet  of  that  tribunal.  With  this 
bright  vision  of  the  future  before  him,  he  will  pass  in 
safety  through  temi)tation,  and  present  an  undaunted 
front  to  the  perils  as  well  as  labors  of  life." 

It  is  with  reference  to  such  results,  that  you  have 
asked  for  a  delineation  of  the  moral  and  intellectual  fea- 
tures of  one  who  has  been  pronounced  a  "  model  states- 
man," and  whom  we  pronounce,  in  all  the  relations  of  life, 
a  model  man.  But  when  the  oulogy  of  your  speaker 
shall  have  gone  down  with  him  in  forgetfulness  to  the 
grave,  the  youth  of  America  will  find  in  the  archives  of 
their  country,  in  unfading  and  faithful  colors,  that  like- 
ness, not  only  as  a  memorial  of  one  loved  and  lost,  but  as 
an  example  and  model  for  their  study  and  imitation. 
Always  a  child  of  Providence,  he  was  not  required  to  pass 
the  subordinate  drudgery  of  a  politician's  Hfe  ;  having 


APrKNDIX. 


407 


served  one  session  in  the  Senate  of  Missouri,  he  was  ele- 
vated hy  the  siifVrajijt;  of  lloaven  to  a  pUiee  in  the  liigliest 
delibcnitive  assonil)ly  in  the  lirst  Government  in  tlie 
world. 

Lewis  Fikld  Linn  was  a  statesman  of  Heaven's  own 
seleetion.  In  October,  1833,  he  was  appointed  by  Gov. 
Dunklin  to  supply  the  vacancy  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Alex- 
ander Buckner,  and  took  his  seat  in  that  Ixxly  at  the  Ses- 
sion of  1833  and  '4.  It  is  said  that  Dr.  Linn  was  unac- 
customed to  the  duties  of  a  Le<;fislator,  for  he  had  never 
made  })olitics  his  study  ;  but  all  admit  that  ho  showed 
himself  equal  to  the  respcmsibilities  of  his  unsought  and 
unexpected  station.  His  was  not  the  dreary  gradation  of 
a  novitiate.  Comprehending  at  once,  and  as  if  by  in- 
stinct, the  duties  of  his  new  position,  he  soon  accpiired  an 
honorable  stand  among  the  great  men  who  then  sat  in 
that  body.  The  impression  that  he  made  in  our  National 
Councils  was  felt  at  home,  and  the  Legislature  of  Mis- 
souri, at  its  ensuing  session,  with  scarcely  a  dissenting 
voice,  expressed  its  confidence  in  him  as  a  public  servant. 
He  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority  in  1836  and  '7,  and 
again,  with  the  approbation  of  all  parties,  in  1842  and  '3. 

Every  distinct  period  in  the  history  of  our  country  has 
demanded  a  peculiar  order  of  statesmen,  and  required 
some  peculiar  endowments  in  those  who  hold  the  helm  of 
State.  A  bold  and  fearless  spirit  was  needed  to  ring  the 
knell  of  despotism  in  the  ear  of  . 'on-handed  tyranny  ; 
and  the  thundering  voice  of  an  eloquent  Henry,  breaking 
upon  our  Legislative  halls,  woke  into  life  the  previinisly 
dormant  energies  of  the  American  jieople.  A  spirit  of 
noble  enterprise  and  bold  daring  was  demanded  to  be 
ready  to  stand  on  trial  belbre  kings,  and  to  meet  death  in 
any  form,   and   there   was  hung  before  the   wondering, 


III 


408 


APPENDIX. 


anxious  gaze  of  patriotism,  like  the  visioned  sheet  hefore 
the  entranced  Apostle,  a  hill  of  rights  to  he  vindicated, 
and  a  bill  of  wrongs  to  he  redressed,  signed  hy  a  host  of 
worthies,  in  flaming  capitals,  flashing  •  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  the  enemies  of  our  country.  Subsequently,  the 
times  demanded  men  of  steady  firmness,  of  unwavering 
integrity,  of  unflinching  courage,  in  whose  breast  the  fire 
of  patriotism  was  an  inextinguishable  flame,  and  the 
great  and  good  Washington  was  furnished.  The  days  of 
the  Revolution  demanded  a  peculiar  order  of  men.  All 
the  other  qualifications  of  every  other  age  seemed  to  be 
required  in  combination.  These  men  were  doubtless 
made,  in  part,  by  the  thnes  in  which  they  lived,  but  they 
would  have  been  adapted  to  any  age,  and  would  have  left 
the  impress  of  theiv  great  minds  upon  it. 

It  would  be  pleasant,  but  might  prove  a  dangerous 
task,  to  mark  the  distinctive  periods  of  our  country's  his- 
tory, and  delineate  the  master-spirits  that  have  troubled 
or  quelled  this  great  political  ocean  But  I  may,  without 
fear,  proceed  to  inquire  what  are  the  qualifications  most 
needed  by  a  statesman  in  tlie  times  in  wliijh  we  live. 

The  founders  of  our  Government  were  distinguished 
for  whai  is  sensible  and  solid,  rather  than  for  what  is 
brilliant  ;  for  the  useful  rather  than  the  visionary  ;  for 
what  Mr.  Locke  calls  large,  sound,  round-r.bout  sense,  and 
having  fought  hard  for  peace  ".nd  suffered  much,  they 
knew  how  to  enjoy  it.  But  for  the  last  few  years,  there 
has  been  an  increasing  fondness  for  political  combat  and 
partisan  gladiatorship.  Now,  whatever  may  have  been 
the  causes,  and  whoever  may  have  been  to  blame,  it  is 
apparent  that  this  spirit  of  contention  and  strife  has  been 
indulged  to  a  melancholy  extent,  and  that  the  weajwns  of 
WiV:  arc  still  kept  furbished  and  ready  for  use.  Having 
tried  these  weaponiL'  long  enough  to  ascertain  that  they 


l!!V! 


m  ' 


'.  \ 


APPENDIX. 


409 


are  used  with  only  the  advantage  thait  accrues  to  an  army 
in  a  dark  night,  wlien  the  life  of  friend  and  foe  is  indis- 
criminately endangered,  the  times  demand  men  of  peace — 


statesmen,  distinguished  for  tlieir  frankness, 


candor,  hon- 


esty, and  forbearance.  It  is  said  of  Dr.  Linn,  that 
"  firm,  yet  conciliating,  candid,  yet  courteous,  he  sat  in 
the  councils  of  our  nation  at  a  time  when  party  spirit  ran 
higher  than  at  any  other  period  in  the  history  of  our  gov- 
ernment, and  without  compromising  one  jot  or  tittle  of  the 
principles  upon  which  he  had  been  elected  to  that  high 
office,  he  maintained  terms  of  friendship  and  respect  with 
every  member  of  the  Senate,  with  one  exception." 

Then  Lewis  Field  Linn  was  such  a  statesman  as  the 
times  required.  His  kind  and  generous  heart  felt  that 
this  din  of  political  strife  had  been  heard  long  enough ; 
that  enough  of  that  glory  had  been  achieved  which  can 
be  secured  only  by  arraying  brother  against  brother,  altar 
against  altar,  and  forum  against  forum  ;  or  l\y  skill  in 
noisy  polemics  and  in  harsh  denunciation,  by  rending 
society  asunder,  and  by  triumph  when  victory  is  always 
equal  to  defeat.  It  was  not  the  Shibboleth  of  party  that 
he  defended,  but  the  great  principles  of  constitutional 
liberty  as  he  understood  and  construed  them,  for  which 
he  was  the  unflinching  and  unwavering  advocate. 

An  interesting  and  characteristic  incident  is  related  of 
him,  illustrative  of  the  influence  he  exerted  upon  his  own 
and  the  then  dominant  party  in  Congress.  A  number  of 
bills  had  been  put  into  his  hands  by  a  political  friend, 
aftccting  important  personal  and  local  interests,  which  he 
felt,  to  offer  himself,  would  be  to  jeopard  at  least.  He 
took  them,  and  in  his  usual  happy  and  conciliatory  man- 
ner, began  unfolding  the  package  and  addressing  himself 
to  their  merits,  when  Mr.  Buchanan  arose  and  remarked 
pleasantly — "  Doctor,  we'll  save  you  the  trouble,  if  you 


'ri 


__i 


410 


APPENDIX. 


I 


li'lU 


recominond  tliem,  we'll  pass  the  wliole  bundle."  This 
suggestion  AViis  in  the  same  spirit  seconded  by  Mr.  Clny. 
And  though  all  this  was  dune  idayfuUy,  it  shows  the  esti- 
mation in  which  he  was  held  by  i)er8onal  friends  and 
political  opponents. 

In  debate  Dr.  Linn  seemed  unconscious  of  his  own 
strength,  lor  if  in  this  respect  he  was  not  distinguished  he 
possessed  some  advantages.  While  he  did  not  obtrude 
himself  into  every  discussion,  as  if  no  question,  however 
trivial,  could  be  settled,  until  his  opinion  was  given,  yet 
neither  did  any  array  of  opposition,  nor  any  fear  of 
responsibility,  nor  any  api)rehension  fo;"  his  popularity, 
deter  him  from  taidng  such  jjart  in  the  most  important 
debates  as  commended  itself  to  his  judgment  and  con- 
science. He  was  an  unpretending  man  and  therefore  diffi- 
dent. He  seldom  ventured  to  speak,  and  never  until  he 
had  possessed  himself  of  the  facts,  and  then  he  never 
failed  to  sustain  himself  creditably,  and  his  arguments 
were  always  heard  with  great  deference.  He  sought  his 
country's  good,  not  his  own  promo  ^on.  He  was  scarcely 
ever  provoked  to  personal  mvective,  but  when  such  cir- 
cumstances did  occur,  his  sarcasm  was  bold  and  wither- 
ing. It  was  evident  to  all  that  he  sought,  not  to  defeat 
and  confound  his  opponents,  much  less  to  degrade  them 
in  their  own  estimation  or  in  the  opinion  of  others,  but 
with  a  look,  manner  and  language  which  bespoke  his  own 
candor  and  sincerity,  to  lead  them  to  his  conclusions — 
and  his  competency  was  only  paralleled  by  his  faithfulness 
and  untiring  industry.  Siiys  Mr.  Buchanan,  the  distin- 
guished Senator  from  Pennsylvania,  in  a  letter  of  condo- 
lence to  his  family  :  ''He  was  indeed  ever)  thing  which 
constitutes  a  man  ;  mild,  amiable,  and  benevolent  of  heart, 
he  was  yet  the  very  soul  of  chivaliy  and  honor.  Possess- 
ing micoumion  talents  and  extensive  information,  he  was 


1:1  : 


APPENDIX. 


411 


one  of  the  ablest  and  most  nseful  members  of  the  Senate, 
and  yet  lie  ever  seemed  imconscions  of  his  own  great 
powers.  His  loss  to  his  personal  and  politieal  friends  in 
that  body  is  irreparable.  No  nrpn  in  the  country  can 
supply  his  place.  He  w^as  the  loek  against  whose  firmness 
the  storm  might  beat,  but  beat  in  vain  ;  and  he  was  ever 
as  prompt  and  decided  in  sustaining  his  friends,  in  their 
hour  of  need,  as  in  defending  himself.  And  yet  in  him 
the  elements  were  so  combined,  that  his  political  opj^o- 
ncnts  were  all  his  friends."  He  adds — and  it  is  a  noble 
tribute — "  Beyond  all  question,  he  was  the  most  popular 
man  among  his  fellow  members  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States." 

The  basis  of  his  well-formed  public  character  was  his 
private  virtues.  The  impression  left  upon  the  mind  of 
every  one  who  had  intercourse  with  him  for  a  single  hour, 
was,  that  he  possessed  honesty  which  could  not  be  cor- 
rupted— integrity  which  could  not  be  moved  by  prosperity, 
nor  shaken  by  adversity. 

His  stern  and  inflexible  moral  principles  were  writff^n 
upon  every  lincan^ent  of  hio  strongly  marked  countenance 
— upon  every  word  that  fe.l  from  his  lips,  and  upon  every 
action  of  his  life,  whether  as  a  citizen  or  public  servant. 

As  the  result  of  this  last  trait,  he  was  possessed  of  de- 
<  ision  of  character.  He  knew — he  felt  he  was  right,  and 
tV  ii  he  was  never  moved  from  his  course  by  trifles.  When 
•ill'  f  i  ing  Avas  to  be  done,  he  was  unwearied  until  its  com- 
plciiop  ;  and  this  was  the  case  whether  one  object,  or  a 
multiplicity  of  cares,  pressed  upon  him.  But  he  was 
never  obsvinate  ;  for  his  decision,  energy  and  unj  ielding 
perseverance,  were  controlled  by  the  native,  unaffected  be- 
nevolence of  his  heart.  And  to  the  i)resence  of  these  be- 
nevolent affections  he  was  largely  indebted  for  that  graceful 
and  easy  politeness,  that  imassuming  suavity  of  temper, 


tf'   ; 


Ulllfi 


iii 


412 


APPENDIX. 


v.'hich  were  so  conspicuous  in  his  intercourse  with  society, 
and  which  so  justly  and  eminently  entitled  him  to  the  uni- 
formly and  universally  recognized  ajjpellation — "  the  peace- 
loving  Senator." 

The  acquisition  of  the  Platte  country,  and  the  hill  for 
the  occupation  and  settlement  of  Oregon,  were  the  promi- 
nent measures  introduced,  and  successfully  recommended 
hy  him,  during  his  short  but  useful  Congressional  career. 
And  his  colleague,  with  becoming  magnanimity,  has  testi- 
fied that  these  bills  were  carried  through  the  Senate  at  a 
time,  and  under  c  c  f^  dances,  when  the  gentleness  and 
firnmess,  the  suavit;y  energy  of  Senator  Linn,  made 

him  alone  competent  for  this  splendid  achievement.  In 
referei  o  to  the  character,  designs  and  provisions  of  the 
Oregon  bill,  we  give  you  the  language  of  his  colleague : 
"  It  Avas  the  measure  of  a  statesman.  Just  to  the  settler, 
it  was  wise  to  the  Government.  The  settler  has  a  right 
to  have  a  home  in  the  new  country  which  he  reclaims  from 
the  wilderness  and  the  savage.  The  Government  of  the 
United  States  can  only  save  its  domain  on  the  Oregon  by 
jilanting  its  colonies  there.  Land  is  the  inducement  and 
the  reward  to  emigration — and  that  land  was  granted  by 
the  bill — liberally  granted  to  the  wife  and  to  the  children 
— to  the  young  man  and  the  widow,  as  well  as  to  the  hus- 
band and  the  father."  "  That  bill,"  he  adds,  "  is  the  vin- 
dication and  assertion  of  the  American  title  against  the 
daring  designs  of  England,  and  the  only  way  to  save 
the  country.  And  in  the  conception  and  recommendation 
of  this  bill,  he  showed  himself  alike  solicitous  to  secure 
personal  interests  and  national  honor."  Well  has  it  been 
said  that  the  name  of  Linn  will  be  identified  with  the 
rising,  spreading  glory  of  that  immense  territory. 

We  have  followed  Senator  Linn  through  his  compara- 
tively brief,  but  distinguished  career  ;  in  boyhood,  acquir- 


APPENDIX. 


413 


ing  those  Imlnts  of  mind  aucl  body  that  indicated  the 
promise  t'  his  usefulness  to  the  world  ;  in  his  profession, 
with  a  mind  richly  stored  with  general  as  well  as  i)rofes- 
sional  information,  with  a  heart  alive  to  all  the  tender 


and 


generous 


sensibilities  of  our  nature,    throwinij   the 


drapery  of  kindness  over  the  chamber  of  affliction,  lighting 
up  a  milder  sun  in  the  sky  overcast  with  the  clouds  of 
misfortune,  and  searching  out  the  causes  of  distress  that 
he  know  not.  Like  Job,  he  was  eyes  to  the  blind,  and 
feet  to  the  lame,  a  father  to  ihd  orphan,  and  the  widow's 
friend. 

Says  my  correspondent,  "  Could  the  world  have  seen 
Dr.  Linn's  house  when  his  death  was  made  known  at  St. 
Genevieve,  then  indeed  would  his  worth  have  been  appre- 
ciated. The  rich  and  poor  filled  his  house  and  yard,  from 
the  town  and  country,  to  learn  if  the  melancholy  news 
was  true — that  their  friend,  their  kind  physician  for  so 
many  years,  who  never  charged  the  widow  or  the  poor  man 
for  his  individual  services — their  benevolent  fellow-citizen, 
who  had  so  often  i)ut  in  jeopardy  all  he  had  on  earth  to 
save  their  projjcrty,  was  indeed  gone  from  them  for  ever. 
Even  the  poor  Africans,  whose  sick  beds  Dr,  Linn  had 
watched  over  many  a  long  and  weary  night,  were  seen 
kneeling  around  the  heart-broken  widow  and  orphan  cldl- 
dren,  begging  to  knoAv  if  they  could  serve  them  in  any 
way."  "  Surely,"  adds  my  correspondent,  "  such  heart- 
felt affection  for  any  man,  such  profound  sympathy  for  his 
family,  could  not  be  manifested  more  strongly  for  any 
person,  than  was  evinced  by  those  who  followed  him  to  his 
last  home." 

At  the  call  of  his  country  he  promptly  relinquished 
his  profession  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  a  i)ublic 
servant  ;  as  a  Commissioner,  satisfactorily  adjusting  an- 
tagonist claims,  involving  important  private  and  public 


'■,  illf 

'1  il    .■ 


it 


414 


APPENDIX. 


interests  ;  as  a  Senator,  standing  forth  on  this  great  the- 
atre, acknowledged  by  all  a  great  and  good  man,  lending 
the  energies  of  his  mighty  mind  to  defend  the  institutions 
of  his  country  from  all  assaults,  both  from  within  and 
without.  Devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  constituents,  he 
showed  himself  a  faithful  and  industrious  Representative. 
But  while  the  memorials  of  his  tenderness  shall  thus 
be  gathered  up  by  his  friends,  in  pri\:"te  life  ;  while  love 
and  affection  mourn  him,  yet  not  as  those  who  mourn 
without  hope  ;  while  the  memory  of  his  devotodness  to 
this  wide-spreiiding  valley  will  be  long  and  tenderly  cher- 
ished ;  while  Oregon  shall  in  her  orphanage  inquire,  who 
will  now  defend  her  honor,  her  character,  her  interests  ? — 
the  records  of  the  Church  will  testify  to  his  virtues,  his 
spirituality,  his  devotion  to  his  God. 


-^: 


"  Know  }-e  a  Prince  hath  fallen  ?     Nature  gave 
Tin  sijinet  of  her  royalty — and  years 
Of  mighty  labor  won  the  sceptred  power 
Of  knowledge — which  from  unborn  ages  claims 
Ilomiige  and  empire,  such  as  time's  keen  tooth 
May  never  waste — yea — and  the  grace  of  God 
So  witnessed  witli  hi?  '■pirit,  so  impelled 
To  deeds  of  Christian  love,  that  there  is  reared 
A  monument  for  him,  which  hath  no  dread 
Of  that  fierce  flame  that  wrecks  the  solid  earth !  " 


Early  and  favorably  impressed  with  the  truths  of  the 
Christian  religion,  a  close  study  of  these  truths  produced, 
under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit — as  Avas  to  be  ex- 
pected in  a  mind  honest  and  sincere  as  his — a  firm  and 
steadfast  faith  as  to  its  divine  origin  and  its  infinite  in- 
terests and  obligations.  And  his  attachment  to  the  fun- 
damental verities  of  the  Bible  became  firm  and  exemplary, 
and  grew  in  strength  and  influence  to  the  very  close  of  his 
life.     It  is  a  melancholy  fact  that  many — alas  !  too  many, 


APPENDIX. 


415 


of  our  distinguished  men — men  who  are  called  by  the  suf- 
frages of  their  country  to  occupy  important  and  command- 
ing positions  in  society,  do  not  recognize,  do  not  acknow- 
ledge the  claims  of  our  Holy  Christianity.  Nor  is  this,  in 
most  instances,  accompanied  hy  a  wanton  and  Avilful  rejec- 
tion of  its  truths,  or  an  utter  disregard  of  its  appeals— or 
a  contempt  for  its  institutions — but,  involved  in  multitu- 
dinous political  cares,  they  at  first  find  but  little  time,  and 
subsequently  less  disposition,  for  matters  affecting  their 
souls'  destiny  ;  while  a  few  rashly  prefer  the  glory  of  a 
day  to  that  which  lasts  for  ever.  Not  so  with  Dr.  Linn. 
In  the  ])rinciples  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  in  the  sanc- 
tions of  the  Christian  religion,  he  matured  his  character, 
secured  his  hapj)iness,  and  foimded  his  hopes. 

The  details  of  his  conversion  I  have  not  been  able  to 
obtain.  His  avowed  and  decided  preference  for  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Cookman,  then  chaplain  to  Congress,  and  pastor  of 
one  of  the  Methodist  churches  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
induced  him  in  the  winter  of  1839  to  wait  upon  tlie  min- 
istry of  that  great  and  good  man,  whose  melancholy  fate 
he  dei)lorHl  so  deeply,  and  with  whose  sainted  si)irit  he  is 
now  enjoying  delightful  communion  before  the  throne  of 
God.  On  the  fifth  day  of  Ai)ril,  of  that  year,  he  joined 
the  M.  E.  Church,  and  from  that  period  to  the  day  of  his 
death  devoted  nuich  of  his  time  to  religious  purposes — to 
the  study  of  the  Bible  and  the  perusal  of  reli<^ous  books. 

With  the  minute  details  of  his  religious  experience  1 
am  as  unacquainted  as  with  those  of  his  conversion.  On 
these  points  of  his  personal  history  and  feelings,  he  was 
constitutionally  and  habitually  reserved  ;  but  when  cir- 
cumstances elicited  remark,  he  was  frank,  and  in  these 
particulars  manifested  the  simplicity  of  a  child.  But  the 
genuine  proofs  of  religion  were  visible  to  those  who  knew 
him  best,  and  could  but  command  their  esteem  and  love, 


'1 


.r ! 


>  lira 


:-i! 


416 


APPENDIX. 


i  .'I'l 


notwithstanding  any  occasional  infirmity  or  manifestation 
of  frailty  tlioy  might  discover.  As  a  Christian,  lie  was 
alike  \mcom promising  in  reference  to  the  doctrines  or  du- 
ties of  his  faith.  His  experience,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  was 
not  the  mere  triumph  of  joyous  feeling,  directly  excited  in 
the  soul  by  an  indication  or  act  of  overwhelming  mercy, 
without  any  particular  mental  exertion  or  the  application 
of  sacred  truth.  God  often  vouchsafes  these  hlessinffs  to 
minds  that  need  them — whose  intellectual  faculties  have 
been  so  untrained,  or  so  unfurnished  with  materials,  as  to 
render  them  most  accessible  to  the  consolations  of  Chris- 
tianity by  immediate  agency  on  the  affections.  Thus  the 
Almighty  afibrds  help  and  comfort  to  all,  be  their  mental 
structures  and  attainments  what  they  may.  With  Dr. 
Linn,  religion  was  a  triumph  of  principle,  rather  than  the 
predominance  of  powerful  emotion.  Hence,  he  lived  hum- 
'Ay — very  humbly — and  retiringly  as  a  Christian,  and  as 
a  Christian  ought  to  live,  yet  very  majestically,  also,  if  I 
may  so  speak.  Through  the  grace  which  was  upon  him — 
grace  which  could  act  in  that  particular  only  on  a  mind 
like  his  own,  strong,  vigorous,  accustomed  to  close  study 
familiarized  by  habit  to  the  most  sublime  and  heavenly 
views  of  truth.  Though  well  informed  and  firm  in  his  re- 
ligious opinions,  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  say  that  a 
mind  so  well  balanced,  a  heart  so  thoroughly  controlled 
by  gentleness  and  -kindness,  could  never  forget  the  lofty 
and  commanding  position  of  the  Christian  in  the  restric- 
tions of  a  mere  sectarian.  No  !  his  was  a  pure  catholic 
spiri*:. 

For  the  last  several  months  he  was  peculiarly  thought- 
ful and  heavenly  minded.  A  temporary  but  severe  indis- 
position, early  last  spring,  left  him  Avitli  the  radical  and 
permanent  impression  that  he  would  not  long  survive. 
This  impression  he  often  communicated  to  his  family,  al- 


APPENDIX. 


417 


ways  accompanying  it  with  a  desire  to  have  his  worldly 
affairs  well  arranged,  and  himself  in  preparation  for  an- 
other existence.  "  On  the  28th  of  last  April,"  says  my 
correspondent,  "  late  at  night,  he  desired  that  his  house- 
hold should  be  called  together,  and,  with  his  wife  and 
children  by  his  side,  kneeling,  in  a  most  fervent  and  devout 
manner  he  dedicated  himself  and  them  to  the  Great  Head 
of  the  Church — that,  whether  they  lived,  they  should  live 
unto  the  Lord,  or  whether  they  die,  they  should  die  unto 
the  Lord  ;  that,  whether  they  live  therefore  or  die,  they 
should  be  the  Lord's."  That  solemn  scone  will  not  soon 
be  forgotten.  An  offering  was  laid  upon  that  altar,  the 
perfumes  of  which  have  h.'ft  a  delightful  fragrance  behind, 
and  in  years  to  come,  when  memory  shall  recall  that  scene, 
how  like  an  angel  will  he  rise  uj)  from  the  dominions  of 
death,  the  very  personification  of  love,  of  gentTosity,  of 
kindness,  of  friendship,  of  truth  and  heavenly  ardor.  But 
in  an  effort  to  delineate  his  religious  character,  I  find  my- 
self invading  that  sacred  enclosure,  the  domestic  circle, 
where  every  step  must  wring  out  tears  and  press  the  bleed- 
ing hearts  of  the  widowed  and  fatherless  ones.  Oh  !  would 
to  God  that  I  could  now  retire,  and  let  the  Guardian  An- 
gel, with  a  feather  plucked  from  his  own  bright  silvery 
wing,  describe  the  scenes  of  reciprocated  tenderness  an*., 
love  that  made  his  home  an  earthly  Paradise.  The  image 
is  present  to  my  own  mind  with  all  the  glowing  freshness 
of  life.  Here  are  combined,  like  nestling  seraphs,  the 
graces  of  moral  beauty,  the  breathing  forms  of  holy  friend- 
ship and  mutual  love.  The  majesty  and  dignity  of  giant 
mind  turning  aside  from  the  world  eager  to  do  it  homage, 
bending  in  admiration  over  the  gentle  flower  at  his  side, 
while  the  cherub  faces  and  merry  tones  of  early  childhood 
exhibit  such  a  vision  of  felicity  as  to  be  cherished,  loved, 
almost  adored — while  upon  this  already  hallowed  scene 


<f! 


i!n  • 


ill] 
I  111 


41S 


APPENDIX. 


religion  throws  its  radiance,  like  a  stray  sunbeam,  piercing 
the  drifted  cloud  and  opening  up  another  day. 

This  state  of  uninterrupted  domestic  bliss  was  the  re- 
sult of  the  hai)])y  and  appropriate  marriage,  in  1818,  of 
Dr.  Linn  and  the  only  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Kelfe,  a  law- 
yer of  distinguished  abilities  from  the  State  of  Virginia, 
who  died  in  early  life,  leaving  but  two  children,  Mrs.  Linn 
and  Dr.  James  H.  Kelfe,  a  Representative  now  in  Con- 
gress from  Missouri.  Of  his  immediate  relations,  Dr.  Linn 
left  one  own  sister,  a  half-brother,  Hon.  Henry  Dodge, 
and  a  half-sister,  Mrs.  Nancy  Sefton,  with  their  families, 
to  all  of  whom  he  -us  tenderly  attached,  and  among  whom 
he  felt  and  made  no  distinction.  Of  a  large  family  of 
children.  Dr.  Linn  left  but  two,  a  son  and  daughter,  to 
mourn  their  loss,  and  soothe  by  their  society  and  sympathy 
the  aching  heart  of  a  widowed  mother.  God  bless  thee, 
Augustus  !  God  bless  thee,  Mary  !  Yours  is  a  rich  in- 
heritance— in  your  veins  is  coursing  in  blending  currents 
the  blood  of  a  patriot  and  a  Christian.  Upon  your  desti- 
nies rest  the  blessings  of  a  sainted  father.  In  your  behalf 
is  enlisted  the  sympathy  of  the  Church.  Hearts,  fond 
hearts,  are  beating  high  for  you — prayers,  warm  and  earnest, 
are  offered  up  for  you.  Voices,  glad  voices,  will  welcome 
you  at  the  threshold,  and  cheer  you  through  the  pathway 
of  life.  Go,  be  ornaments  of  society — go,  and  may  that 
God  who  has  promised  to  be  a  Father  to  the  fatherless, 
shield  and  protect  you  ! — go,  imitate  the  virtues  of  one 
loved  and  lost ! — go,  and  let  the  dawning  graces  of  youth 
reflect,  as  in  a  mirror,  to  the  anxious  eye  of  your  widowed 
mother  the  light  of  him  who  was  her  protector  through 
life — whose  tenderness  and  care  constituted  her  ,  sum  of 
happinei  ^,  and  who,  connected  with  this,  has  only  one 
other  sou.-ce  of  comfort — the  religion  of  Christ.  An  illus- 
trious instance  for  condolence  and  comfort  is  furnished  us 


I,.:.  4 


APPENDIX. 


419 


by  the  last  words  of  that  distinguished  statesman,  whose 
melancholy  fate  our  country  will  never  cease  to  deplore — 
Alexander  Hamilton  :  "  Kemcmher,"  said  he,  with  the  ut- 
most composure,  to  his  wife,  almost  frantic  with  grief, 
"  remember,  my  Eliza,  you  are  a  Christian." 

The  accounts  published  of  the  last  moments  of  Dr. 
Linn  are  substantially,  though  not  minutely,  correct.  Up 
to  the  evening  of  the  2d  ultimo,  he  was  in  the  enjoyment 
of  unusually  good  health.  Having  just  arrived  at  home, 
on  the  day  previous,  after  an  absence  of  twelve  days,  he 
was  busily  engaged  in  arranging  some  private  papers,  in- 
tending on  the  next  day  to  visit  St.  Louis.  During  that 
day  he  had  indulged  much  anxiety  in  relation  to  a  private 
paper  of  considerable  importance,  that  he  apprehended 
had  been  mislaid.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  in  stooping  to 
search  a  trunk,  he  raised  his  head  suddenly  and  asked 
Mrs.  Linn,  who  had  been  assiduously  engaged  in  assisting 
her  husband,  if  his  face  was  not  very  much  flushed,  as  he 
felt  exceedingly  dizzy,  and  there  seemed  to  be  a  general 
determination  of  blood  to  the  head.  The  painful  sensa- 
tion, however,  passed  off,  and  lie  resisted  the  suggestion 
that  he  should  be  bled  during  the  evening,  and  to  a  late 
hour  at  night  he  was  engaged  in  correspondence  and  in 
conversation  with  his  family,  whose  society,  he  said,  never 
seemed  so  sweet  as  upon  that  evening.  When  he  retired, 
he  was  indisposed  to  sleep,  but  did  not  complain  of  being 
unwell.  As  the  morning  dawned,  he  remarked  that  he 
felt  unusually  sleepy.  His  wife,  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  watch  over  him  with  sleepless  vigilance  for  years,  when 
there  was  the  slightest  indication  of  indisposition  or  undue 
nervous  irritation,  proposed  to  write  the  letters  that  ho 
had  dictated,  and  watch  over  him,  that  he  might  not  be 
disturbed  by  the  approach  of  any  one.  Whilst  thus  em- 
ployed, she  frequently  turned  and  gazed  upon  him  to  see 


420 


APPENDIX. 


if  he  Wiis  tiwake — but  lie  Hle])t  on,  gently  and  quietly  as 
nn  infant.  Having  finished  the  correspondenee,  and  heing 
much  fatigued  and  ()j)i)re8Hed  for  want  of  sleep,  she  con- 
cluded she  would  lie  down  by  his  side,  to  be  ready,  when 
he  awoiie,  to  wait  upon  him  herself,  as  he  had  affection- 
ately requested.  As  she  drew  aside  the  curtain  to  look 
again  upon  the  calm  and  trancpiil  features  of  her  loved 
husband — (piick  as  thought,  a  dark,  death-j)resaging 
shadow  })asscd  over  his  face  !  For  a  moment  she  was 
transfixed.  It  was  not  the  i)ainful  ap})rehension  that  she 
was  watching  by  the  bed  of  death,  that  converted  that 
fearful  expression  into  the  precursor  of  dissolution.  Others 
might  have  seen  it  and  no  fear  been  started  ;  l)ut  a 
woman's  love,  a  wife's  tenderness,  marks  the  fi.rst  indica- 
tion of  death,  and,  sleepless  and  vigilant,  she  is  ever  found 
ready  to  catch  upon  her  lips  the  last  faint  breath.  With 
Mrs.  Linn  vigilance  had  become  habitual ;  a  moment's 
relief  suggested  that  all  her  fears  might  be  groundless. 
But  another  look,  and  tiiough  her  loved  husband  still 
breathed  on,  confirmed  her  fears  that  life,  gradually  sink- 
ing down  into  the  horizon  of  death,  was  throwing  its  mel- 
ancholy farewell  rays  in  golden  beauty  over  the  uncon- 
scious sleeper.  The  agonizing  cry  soon  filled  the  chamber 
of  the  dying  husband  and  father,  not  on^y  with  the  in- 
mates of  the  family,  but  sympathizing  friends,  among 
whom  was  Dr.  Sargeant,  who  providentially  passed  the 
house  at  that  moment,  and  who  was  by  his  bedside  only 
to  see  him  draw  a  few  faint  breaths  ;  and  then,  without  a 
struggle  or  a  sigh,  he  exchanged  a  life  full  of  honors,  on 
earth,  for  an  eternal  life,  full  of  glory,  at  the  right  hand 
of  God. 

It  certainly  would  have  beou  gratifying  to  the  Churcli 
and  to  his  friends,  to  have  had  his  dying  testimony  ;  yet 
this  could  not  be  necessary  for  the  assurance  of  his  peace- 


APPENDIX. 


421 


ful  end  and  eternal  felicity.  "  They  that  live  well  shall 
die  well,"  has  become  a  religions  maxim,  incontestahly 
proved  by  Scri])tnre  arithority.  Unwavering  faith,  ardent 
love,  uniform  i)lety,  are  the  only  necessary,  the  most  de- 
sirable assurances,  of  a  peaceful  and  hajtpy  death.  But  I 
will  indulge  no  further  comment  upon  this  afflicting  and 
unexpected  dispensation.  A  minister  of  the  religion  of 
the  blessed  Prince  of  Peace,  I  will  stoop  over  the  bereaved, 
the  sorrowing,  the  heart-stricken,  and  administer  the  con- 
solation of  the  Gospel  that  hath  brought  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light.  I  will  suppress  my  own  sighs  and  teach 
them  to  say — "  It  is  of  the  Lord,  let  him  do  with  us  as 
seemeth  good  in  his  sight."  I  will  lean  over  affection's 
dismantled  harp  in  sad,  heai  t-burdened  silence,  and  point 
to  the  spirit-land  where  its  notes  in  unbroken  harmony 
will  mingle  with  the  songs  of  immortality.  A  minister  of 
peace,  I  would  stand  upon  the  gloomy  confines  of  the 
damp,  dark  grave,  with  the  Bible  in  my  hand,  read  from 
its  heaven-inspired  i)ages  these  ever  enduring  lines — words 
that  shall  survive  when  the  grass  has  withered  and  the 
flower  faded  : — "  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the 
Lord,  even  so  saith  the  S[)irit,  from  henceforth  they  cease 
from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  tliem." 


The  following  eloquent  tribute  to  t' .e  worth  and  mem- 
ory of  Pr.  Linn  fell  from  the  lips  of  Col.  Rollins,  a  whig 
member  of  the  Missouri  Legislature,  twelve  years  after 
Dr.  L.  had  passed  away  : — 


Mr.  Rollins  said  he  had  just  heard  the  bill  read,  and 
his  attention  was  called  to  it  by  the  mention  of  the  name 
of  Lewis  F.  Linn.     His  heart  was  always  touched,  when 


422 


APPENDIX. 


i 


Hi  ■ 

R 

i'i'i'i 

m  1 


the  memory  and  services  of  our  distinguished  men,  wlio 
had  passed  from  the  stage  of  aeiion,  were  brouglit  in  re- 
view before  him,  and  by  none  sooner  than  by  the  name  of 
Lewis  F.  Linn  ! 

Mr.  KoUins  said  he  had  enjoyed  but  a  slight  personal 
acquaintance  with  that  good  and  noble  man  ;  but  it  was 
one  of  the  pleasing  memories  of  his  life,  the  day  that  he 
formed  his  acquaintance,  now  twenty-four  years  ago,  al- 
most a  quarter  of  a  century,  Mr.  R.  said  when  he  was 
a  youth,  hav'ng  just  left  college,  he  paid  his  first  visit 
to  Jefferson  City.  On  the  hill,  near  the  Governor's  house, 
stood  the  old  capitol  of  the  State.  The  General  Assem- 
bly was  in  session.  Dr.  Linn  was  a  member  of  the  Sen- 
ate, the  most  graceful,  elegant  and  accomplished  gen- 
tleman of  that  body.  M-  R.  baid  he  remembered  his 
warm  and  cordial  reception,  when  he  was  introduced  to 
him.  An  impression  had  been  made  upon  his  youthful 
heart  wh'oh  would  never  be  effaced.  From  that  time  he 
had  watched  with  solicitude  and  deep  interest  the  career 
of  Dr.  Linn.  After  having  served  Missouri  faithfully  and 
honorably  as  a  legislator,  a  vacancy  occurring  in  the  U. 
S.  Senate,  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  Senator  Buck- 
ner,  he  was  transfciied  by  the  appointment  of  Governor 
Dunklin,  to  that  body.  He  enxered  that  forum  of  distin- 
guished men  a  stranger,  but  on  account  of  his  high  and 
chivalrous  impulses,  his  noble  and  manly  bearing,  the 
beauty  and  gracefulness  of  his  whole  character,  he  won 
at  once  an  enviable  position  in  the  Senate  ;  and  Mr.  R. 
said  lie  would  venture  to  say  that  few  men  had  exerted  a 
wider  influence  over  the  deliberations  of  the  American 
Senate,  for  the  length  of  time  that  he  remained  there, 
than  Dr.  Linn.  He  was  a  poet  as  well  as  a  statesman  ; 
his  character  became  national,  and  ho  was  not  only  re- 
spected but  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.     He  was  twice 


i 


APPENDIX. 


423 


elected  to  the  Senate,  and  almost  without  opposition. 
Whilst  there,  and  up  to  the  day  of  his  death,  his  energies 
and  best  efforts,  in  the  vigor  and  prime  of  manhood,  were 
devoted  to  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of  the  people 
who  had  thus  honored  him.  He  was  loyal  and  faithfid  to 
Missouri  ;  he  was  alive  to  every  thing  that  concerned  her 
honor,  her  prosperity  and  her  glory,  and  the  National  stat- 
ute book  abounds  with  many  acts,  of  which  he  was  the 
author,  and  intended  to  promote  our  advancement. 

It  is  appropriate,  on  this  occasion,  to  mention  at  least 
one  of  those  acts.  I  refer  to  that  by  which  the  Platte 
purchase  was  attached  to  our  State.  Without  doing  in- 
justice to  the  honorable  efforts  of  others,  he  might  be  per- 
mitted to  say,  that  we  were  more  indebted  to  Dr.  Linn 
and  Gen.  Ashley  for  this  beautiful  addition  to  our  State, 
than  to  any  other  persons.  And  Mr.  R.  said  if  this  was 
all,  it  was  sufficient  of  itself  to  entitle  him  to  the  lasting 
gratitude  and  affectionate  remembrance  of  our  peojile. 

Look  to  the  Platte — the  six  splendid  counties  of  the 
Platte  country — the  El  Dorado  of  our  State,  the  most 
fertile  and  beautiful  portion  of  Missouri — he  might  say 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley — he  might  say  of  the  Union  ;  a 
land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  as  rich  as  the  valley  of 
the  Nile,  and  as  charming  to  the  vision  as  that  which 
opened  upon  the  sight  of  Moses,  when  he  beheld  the 
bright  and  lovely  heritage  which  God  had  given  him. 
For  this  addition  to  our  State,  now  filled  with  a  rich,  in- 
telligent, and  powerful  people,  we  are  chiefly  indebted  to 
the  active  zeal  and  devoted  patriotism  of  Lewis  V.  Linn  ! 
And  now  we  are  asked,  through  his  warm  personal  friend, 
whilst  he  lived,  (Mr.  Bogy,)  to  make  a  sm.all  appro] u'iat ion 
out  of  the  overflowing  treasury  of  this  same  people,  whom 
it  80  much  delighted  him  to  serve,  to  be  expended  to  pro- 
tect from  the  rude  decay  of  time  the  chaste  and  beautiful 


I, 
t 


$\\ 


ill!: 


424 


APPENDIX, 


■I 


monument,  erected  Ly  the  hand  of  taste,  and  which  marks 
the  spot  that  contains  his  ashes.  Sir,  let  the  bill  pass, 
and  let  there  be  no  dissenting  voice  ! 

One  other  remark,  Mr,  R.  said,  and  he  was  done.  We 
are  too  careless  and  indifferent  in  treasuring  the  memory 
of  our  departed  statesmen — those  who  aided  in  laying  the 
foundations  of  society  on  this  great  river,  and  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  the  very  State  government  under  which 
we  live,  and  have  grown  and  prospered, 

"  Forget  not  the  faithful  dead  "  is  a  holy  and  pious 
sentiment,  which  should  be  deeply  engraven  upon  the 
heart  of  every  cultivated  people  ;  and  it  is  as  much  by 
the  observance  of  its  sacred  injunction,  that  we  ourselves 
will  be  remembered  and  honored  hereafter,  as  by  the  phys- 
ical improvement  of  our  countiy,  and  the  building  of  it 
up,  in  all  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  What  steps  have  we 
as  yet  taken  to  rescue  from  the  deep  sea  of  oblivion,  the 
great  deeds  of  the  early  pioneers  of  our  State  ,''  Where  is 
the  Historical  Society  of  Missouri  ?  and  where  are  the 
moniunents  which  a  grateful  people  have  raised  to  perpet- 
uate the  noble  deeds  of  the  Boones,  the  C  alia  ways,  the 
Coopf  r;^,  the  Bartons,  the  Clarks,  the  Ashleys  and  the 
Millers  of  our  State  ?  These  men  have  passed  from  the 
stage  of  action, 

"  And  memory  o'er  their  tombs  no  trophies  raise," 

Sir,  this  should  not  be.  And  in  passing  the  bill  intro- 
duced by  my  friend  from  St,  Genevieve,  reviving  as  it  does 
a  recollection  of  the  virtues  of  the  lamented  Linn,  let  a 
kindlier  j)atriotism  animate  our  breasts,  that  at  no  distant 
day  we  may  discharge  the  heavy  debt  of  gratitude  due  to 
the  memory  and  character  of  other  departed  pioneers  and 
statesmen. 


It  ill 

II  r' 


1^1^  I 


APPENDIX. 


425 


Baltimore,  Oct  1\si,  1843. 

My  beloved  Friend, — Would  that  it  wore  in  my 
power  to  offer  consolation,  that  would  reach  the  heart  of 
one  so  deeply  afflicted  ;  but,  my  very  dear  friend,  at  the 
present  moment  I  feel  convinced  that  words  were  hut 
mockery,  and  human  sympathy  vain,  in  view  of  your  he- 
reavement. 

Most  sincerely  do  I  mourn  with  you  the  irreparable 
loss  that  you  have  sustained.  The  chasm  has  not  been 
confined  to  your  own  bosom  ;  the  whole  community  feel 
the  void  that  death  has  made,  in  removing  from  society 
the  example  of  one  so  highly  gifted  in  all  the  associations 
of  public  and  private  life  ;  many,  many  hearts  sympathize 
with  you  at  this  moment,  but  alas !  the  wound  is  too  re- 
cc.t  to  admit  of  present,  tranquillity  ;  the  lacerated  heart 
fe(!ls  the  insufficiency  of  human  aid. 

But,  my  loved  friend,  when  the  fount  of  earthly  com- 
fort fails  and  every  stream  is  dry,  we  know  that  there  is  a 
still  higher  source,  an  inexhaustible  fount  of  consolation 
in  the  love  of  Jesus.  Yes,  I  am  assured  that  you  have 
often  opplied  to  that  source,  and  from  swoet  experience 
can  testify  to  the  efficacy  of  its  healing  |M.,,i'r.  "The 
fountain  of  living  waters,  which  if  any  man  thinks  there- 
of, he  shall  thirst  no  more  for  ever." 

I  do  most  fervently  recommend  my  l)eloved  friend  unto 
Him,  in  whose  hands  arc  the  is:-iues  of  life,  unto  our  all- 
sufficient  God  and  Saviour,  who  alone  can  dry  the  falling 
tear,  and  Kootht  the  lacerated  bosom. 

Oh  !  may  the  Sun  of  righteousness  arise,  v/ith  healing 
on  his  wings,  and  illumine  this  dark  dispensation  of  his 
Providence  ;  as  with  a  ray  of  light  drawn  from  the  fount 
of  love,  impress  upon  the  woundied  heart  resignation  to 
the  will  of  God. 

(»li  !  my  dearest  friend,  what  t;,  blessed  hope  is  the 


426 


APPENDIX. 


j'4 


Christian's  ;  to  be  enabled  to  look  beyond  this  fleeting 
scene,  and  triumph  over  death  and  the  grave  ;  even  from 
this  valley  of  tears  and  mortal  suffering,  to  behold  eternal 
life,  our  own  iinmingled  bliss  for  evermore  in  the  presence 
of  our  God.  Could  wq  but  fully  realize  this  glorious  pros- 
pect, oh  !  how  greatly  would  it  tem^  to  reconcile  us  to 
our  present  warfare  ;  we  should  then  be  enabled  to  place 
a  proper  estimate  upon  the  transitory  things  of  time  and 
sense,  and  be  more  occupied  in  laying  up  the  imperishable 
riches  of  eternal  life  ;  we  should  even,  with  the  Apostle 
Paul,  ''  be  willing  to  rejoice  amid  tribulation,  believing  in 
the  saii..tifying  influence  of  its  effects  upon  the  heart." 

But  it  is  not  for  me  to  teach  you  these  spiritual 
truths,  so  precious  to  the  Christian,  so  consoling  to  the 
mourner. 

Present  me  very  affectionately  to  dear  Mary  and  Au- 
gustus. I  trust  that  they  may  be  ever  found  walking  in 
the  footsteps  of  their  exalted  father,  reflecting  the  light 
of  his  many  eminent  virtues,  beloved  and  useful  members 
of  society.  They  have  indeed  a  rich  patrimony  to  boast 
of,  in  the  unblemished  character  of  their  honored  father, 
— rich  in  every  virtue  that  could  adorn  the  man  and  the 
Christian. 

How  is  your  health  at  present,  my  dear  Mrs.  Linn  ?  I 
hope  it  may  not  suffer  under  your  many  trials.  You  have 
a  great  deal  to  live  for,  and  every  exertion  will  be  neces- 
sary on  your  part  ;  for  the  sake  of  your  precious  children, 
you  will  have  to  exert  every  energy  of  your  gifted  mind. 
You  will  have  to  recollect  also  that  you  are  now  their  all 
in  all  as  regards  earthly  prospects  ;  this  consideration  will 
strengthen  you  to  bear  up  your  fortitude,  so  that  they 
sink  not.  Dear  .Mar'  i^  now  of  an  age  that  retpiires  all 
your  attention,  all  your  fond  solicitation.  Youth,  beauty, 
and  innocence  require  a  guide,  a  mother's  fostering  care  ; 


i 


vl 


APPENDIX. 


427 


and  Augustus — what  could  he  do  without  you  ?  And 
your  friends  that  love  you  dearly.  Dearest  Mrs.  Linn,  ic- 
flect  upon  all  this,  and  endeavor  to  preserve  your  health 
for  all  our  sakes. 

I  hope  Augustus  has  entirely  recovered  ere  this — a 
present  comfort  near  you.  May  God  preserve  and  bless 
you  all,  and  prove  to  you  a  help  in  time  of  need,  prays 
your  devoted  friend, 

Jacqueline  S.  Pendleton. 

P.  S. — And  now,  my  dear  friend,  permit  me  to  offer 
you  my  society,  any  time  this  winter,  if  it  can  he  of  the 
least  gratification  to  you. 

I  shall  await  your  wishes,  and  fly  to  your  loved  pres- 
ence immediately,  if  my  suggestion  claims  your  approval ; 
for  language  would  he  inadequate  to  express  the  gratitude 
I  should  experience  in  being  the  slightest  comfort  to  you. 
Any  way  that  I  can  serve  you,  command  me,  and  be  as- 
sured, dearest  lady,  my  love  is  deep  and  lasting. 

J.  S.  P. 


St.  Louis,  Oct  ISth,  1843. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  K.  Linn, 

My  dear  Madam, — In  this  season  of  deep  affliction, 
my  own  feelings  of  personal  friendship  for  yourself  and 
family,  as  well  as  my  duty  to  you  as  your  pastor  and  si)ir- 
itual  guide,  induces  me  to  present  my  sympathy  and  some 
effort  to  aid  in  your  consolation  and  support.  The  infor- 
mation of  your  husband's  death  fell,  even  upon  us,  as  a 
sudden  bolt  from  heaven,  that  we  could  hardly  believe. 
And  liow  much  more  severely  must  it  have  fiillen  upon  a 
tenderly  attached  wife,  and  fond  children.     The  circum- 


428 


APPENDIX. 


stances  arc  of  a  peculiarly  painful  kind,  under  which  we 
learn  ho  tleparted,  with  no  previous  warning  to  excite  ap- 
prehension in  your  minds,  and  gradually  prepare  you  for 
the  loss  you  were  to  sustain  ;  not  to  be  with  liini  in  the 
last  expiring  struggle,  to  speak,  to  hear  his  voice,  to  say 
farewell,  or  even  while  the  spirit  yet  rf^mained  to  lay  your 
hand  upon  his  brow.  These  are  severe  trials  to  the  affec- 
tionate heart.  But  then,  we  must  not  look  at  the  painful 
things  alone.  Sudden  death,  if  we  are  prepared,  is  not 
in  itself  to  be  lamented.  The  suffering  cannot  be  great, 
seeing  it  is  one  expiring  effort  and  the  cord  is  loosed. 
Befiter  than  the  days  and  weeks  of  2)rotracted  anguish, 
which  we  are  called  often  to  witness  without  the  ability  to 
relieve.  The  spirit  has  been  called  into  another  part  of 
the  region  governed  by  the  same  eternal  king.  I  trust 
you  are  al)le  from  the  knowledge  of  his  inward  workings 
to  find  evidence  on  which  to  hope,  if  not  confidently  be- 
lieve that,  though  full  of  sin,  he  rested  on  the  friend  of 
sinners,  who  saves  even  to  the  uttermost,  and  now  dwells 
with  him.  My  lack  of  oi)porfunity  to  know  his  mind 
prevents  my  aiding  you  in  reference  to  this.  I  only  know 
that  the  plan  of  salvation  he  understood,  and  well  knew 
from  Avhcnce  deliverance  must  cotne. 

But  you  feel  that  you  are  left  with  your  orphans  alone  ; 
a  cold,  bleak  world,  which  no  sun  can  ever  thaw  or  warm 
and  clothe  with  floAvers  and  verdure  again,  is  all  your  mind 
rests  on  here.  But  sorrow  blears  our  mental  vision,  and 
we  are  unable  to  see  in  its  extremity  the  good  that  re- 
mains. Your  children  are  here,  and  drawn  the  nearer  lie- 
cause  you  are  all  of  their  parents  left  ;  your  friends,  those 
really  so,  will  not  be  driven  ofi'  but  drawn  the  nearer  by 
your  trials.  The  Saviour  has.  not  died  or  departed  ;  he 
who  mingled  his  tenrs  with  those  of  Martha  and  Mary, 
when  they  wept  over  the  untimely  grave  of  a  dear  brother, 


■  ? 


APPENDIX. 


429 


is  here  to  weep  with  you.  There  is  no  tear  you  shed  he 
does  not  sec,  no  ache  of  your  heart  he  does  not  know  ;  al- 
tliough  exalted  he  is  still  accessible  and  is  still  unchanged. 
He  counts  the  sighs  of  his  children,  and  when  their  sjjirits 
are  overwhelmed  within  them,  he  knows  their  path  and 
adjusts  the  time  and  measure  of  their  trials,  with  the  same 
precision  that  he  weighed  the  mountains  in  scales  and  hills 
in  a  balance,  and  meted  out  the  heavens  with  a  span. 
There  is  no  tenderness  like  to  that  which  God  exercises 
toward  his  children,  more  than  the  compassion  of  a  mother 
for  her  sucking  child.  Then,  dear  madam,  carry  to  him 
your  sorrows,  those  which  you  can't  express  to  friends, 
that  words  fail  to  convey,  with  the  assurance  that  he  un- 
derstands them  all  and  sympathizes  with  you.  If  these 
trials  thus  draw  you  nearer  to  the  great  com^ortoi,  you 
will  yet  rejoice  with  David  that  you  have  been  atflic'^ed. 

There  are  great  blessings  in  affliction.  The  greater 
part  of  the  promises  in  the  Bible  are  directed  to  those 
who  are  afflicted.  These,  in  our  prosperity,  remain  shut 
up  ;  we  knoAV  them,  and  believe  they  are  true,  but  cannot 
realize  them  in  all  their  fulness  and  s»veetness  till  afflic- 
tion comes.  The  Lord  says,  "  Call  upon  me  in  the  day 
of  trouble,  and  I  will  deliver."  That  is  a  city  of  refuge, 
shut  up,  until  the  hour  of  our  calamity  comes,  but  then 
we  flee  to  it,  and  God  is  our  God  because  we  are  in  trou- 
ble. We  are  but  pilgrims  and  strangers  here,  yet  we  grow 
fast  to  this  earth,  and  forget  that  city  whose  maker  and 
builder  is  God.  Yet  wo  must  soon  remove,  and  hence  the 
trials  sent  seem  to  be  to  undermine  the  foundation  we  are 
so  prone  to  lay  here.  Had  Israel  been  in  prosperity 
when  Moses  and  Aaron  came  to  them  to  tell  them  of  Canaan, 
they  would  never  have  consented  to  go  out  of  Egypt  with 
him  ;  but  he  prepared  them  by  bondage  and  cruel  oppres- 
sion, weaning  them  from  the  land  they  inhabited,  and  mak- 


430 


APPENDIX. 


ing  them  willing  to  be  gone.  Thus  God  here  reduces  our 
comforts,  cuts  our  ties,  and  prepares  us  for  our  removal  to 
that  city  that  hath  foundations. 

May  the  Lord  abundantly  bless,  and  console  and  sanc- 
tify you,  that  you  may  greatly  rejoice  in  him  here,  and 
with  those  you  love  be  happy  in  his  presence  for  ever. 
Please  present  my  love  to  your  good  mother  if  with  you, 
and  to  the  children. 

With  much  affection. 

Your  pastor, 

William  S.  Potts. 


My  own  dear  Friend, — It  is  with  truest  sorrow, 
that  we  have  heard  the  melancholy  intelligence  of  the 
death  of  Dr.  Linn.  Believe  me  nothing  could  have  occa- 
sioned deeper  feeling  with  me,  not  only  in  reference  to  the 
long  and  sincere  friendship  which  has  existed  between  us, 
but  more  especially  on  account  of  the  deep  poignancy, 
which  must  have  been  reflected  on  a  heart  like  vours,  at 
the  loss  of  one  so  truly  excellent  and  in  all  the  pride  of 
honored  worth.  I  know  from  my  own  sad  experience,  that 
our  grief  may  be  such  as  to  incline  us  to  shrink,  even 
from  the  approach  of  friendship,  and  I  know,  too,  that 
there  is  but  little  power  in  human  consolation  to  mitigate 
the  anguish  of  so  hard  a  trial.  May  He,  who  in  his  inscru- 
table providence  has  thus  afflicted,  support  and  console 
you.  The  consolations  of  religion,  and  the  healing  influ- 
ence of  time,  can  alone  soothe  the  bereaved  and  heart- 
stricken  mourner.  My  thoughts  have  been  much  with 
you,  dear  Mrs.  Linn,  and  with  those  thoughts  there  have 
mingled  bright  memories  of  other  days,  when  we  were  all 
so  happy  together  in  Washington.     My  own  blessed  home, 


APPENDIX. 


431 


in  wliich  we  found  those  abundant  measures  of  happiness, 
which  are  looked  for  in  vain  elsewhere.  Death  maC.c  an 
inroad  on  them.  My  beloved  incomparable  brother,  and 
then  my  precious  father  were  taken  from  me.  My  heart 
rebelled  and  I  asked,  why  was  the  angel  of  death  sent,  to 
change  our  happy  home  into  a  house  of  mourning  ?  I 
did  not  know  then,  nor^do  I  now,  but  there  is  one  who 
does  know  ;  whose  will  I  dare  not  question,  any  more  than 
I  can  question  his  infinite  goodness  and  mercy  to  us  all. 
My  dear  mother's  health  continues  very  infirm  ;  she  is  still 
a  helpless  invalid,  whose  only  change  of  place  is  from  her 
bed  to  "  the  old  arm  chair."  It  is  now  almost  three 
years  since  she  was  first  attacked,  and  the  origin  of  all 
her  sickness  was  the  shock  upon  her  nerves,  occasioned 
by  the  sudden  death  of  my  father.  I  do  not  think  that 
she  is  any  worse  within  the  last  six  months,  although  her 
physicians  will  not  say  that  there  has  been  any  real  change 
for  the  better ;  and  yet  there  are  sometimes  whole  days  in 
succession,  when  she  will  appear  so  much  recovered  that 
our  hopes  and  spirits  rise  in  proportion,  and  we  think  she 
must  be  getting  well  again.  She  is  now  an  absorbing  in- 
terest with  us  all,  and  every  little  arrangement  in  our  way 
of  life  depends  upon  her  daily  health,  which  varies  more 
or  less,  as  time  rolls  on.  No  murmur  escapes  her  lips  ; 
she  is  the  most  patient  and  resigned  spirit  that  ever  ?ived, 
and  we  have  a  consolation  above  all  this  world  oan  offer 
in  her  entire  resignation  to  the  divine  will,  and  peifect  as- 
surance of  a  happy  immortality,  when  she  shall  be  sum- 
moned to  bid  a  last  farewell  to  all  human  sorrow.  I  am 
now  writing  in  her  room,  and  she  bids  me  say,  how  deeply 
she  mourns  with  you  in  this  sudden  bereavement  of  him, 
for  whom  we  have  always  felt  the  strongest  regard.  The 
scene  of  your  first  distress  is  constantly  before  me,  and  I 


432 


APPENDIX. 


i, 


Mv 


have  wislicd  that  I  could  be  with  you,  to  soothe  in  some 
measure  by  my  sympathy  your  heart's  grief. 

My  mother  and  sisters  unite  with  me  in  tenderest  love 
to  you  and  Mary,     Pray  write  to  me,  whenever  you  feel 
sufficiently   composed   to   do    so,   and   always,   my  dear 
Mrs.  Linn,  believe  me,  very  truly  and  affectionately, 
Your  friend, 

Elizabeth  Kane. 
New  York,  Nov.  1st,  1843. 


From  a  lady,  who  was  a  great  belle  in  the  days  of  Gen. 
Washhigton,  and  often  graced  his  drawing-room  while  he 
was  President. 

Cumberland,  Alleghany  County,  Maryland,  ) 

October,  23d.  1843.  j 

My  dear,  dear  Friend, — I  will  no  longer  withhold 
from  you  the  expression  of  the  deep  sorrow  that  has  so 
unexpectedly  overtaken  me.  I  should  have  done  it  long 
since,  but  the  fear  of  aggravating  and  opening  wounds  I 
want  to  heal.  This  very  day,  if  seventy  winters  had  not 
beat  upon  my  head,  I  would  fly  to  you,  you  have  ever  felt 
like  a  daughter  to  me,  and  am  I  never  to  see  her  more 
and  hear  her  sweet  voice  and  converse.  Although  our 
acquaintance  was  made  in  Washington,  where  there  is  so 
little  real  friendship.  The  disparity  too  in  our  years.  Yet 
we  met  in  each  other  those  indescribable  requisites  that 
formed  the  basis  and  union  of  affection,  that  neither  dis- 
tance nor  time  can  lessen.  Oh,  how  can  I  name  him,  who 
was  the  first  connecting  link  to  our  haj)piness  with  each 
other.  I  was  counting  the  days  when  I  might  expect  him. 
I  am  nire  he  told  you  of  the  interesting  interview  we  had  ; 
our  parting  was  more  lilcc  an  own  mother  with  her  son  ;  he 


APPENDIX. 


433 


took  mc  in  his  arms,  embraced  me,  and  we  invoked  God  to 
bless  each  other  :  Httle  did  I  dream  it  was  for  tlie  last  time. 
I  felt  contending  emotions  ;  there  was  a  sadness,  a  feel- 
ing I  could  not  account  for,  when  my  tears  Howed  so  un- 
bidden befn'c  the  distinguished  friends  he  brought  with  him, 
to  sec  his  favorite  relative,  as  he  termed  me.  Could  you 
be  invisible,  and  see  me  seated  between  the  pictures  of  our 
departed  husbands  ;  they  seem  to  smile  upon  me,  and  if 
they  coidd  speak  I  know  would  chide  me  for  the  vain 
tears  I  shed.  This  sad  intelligence  was  conveyed  to  me 
on  Sunday  week  coming  out  of  church  ;  my  children  and 
friends,  as  tliey  collect  any  further  particulars  from  the 
papers,  send  them  to  me,  but  as  yet  they  are  unsatisfac- 
tory. I  cannot  ask  you  to  give  me  the  melanclioly  partic- 
ulars, but  will  you  get  some  friend  to  do  it  for  you.  I 
was  going  to  write  to  my  friend  General  Dodge,  but  on 
reflection  remembered  he  was  in  Iowa. 

I  have  kei)t  all  his  letters  to  me,  even  the  envelopes. 
The  pen  I  hold  in  my  hand  was  given  me  by  liim  ;  I  should 
like  to  have  one  of  those  dear  curls,  if  ever  so  small.  But 
I  am  wrong  ;  I  only  add  to  your  distress. 

Now,  let  me  entreat  you  to  live  for  your  sweet  Mary 
and  your  noble  Augustus.  Be  reconciled  to  the  will  of 
our  heavenly  Father.  He  will  be  your  comforter  amid  tlie 
fiery  trials  that  are  about  your  path.  Time,  I  know  from 
experience,  will  do  much  for  you.  I  was  just  having  a 
beautiful  pair  of  thread  mitts  ready  for  you  and  sweet 
Mary  when  you  came.  Pray,  my  dearest  Mrs.  Linn,  ex- 
cuse all  inaccuracies  in  these  sad  pages  ;  they  have  cost  me 
many  tears.  I  feel  assured  many  of  your  good  friends 
from  every  direction  have  flown  to  you  ;  I  feel  as  if  I  must 
embrace  you — but  to  mention  even  my  wish  to  go  to  yoii, 
my  children  would  think  mc  crazy.  I  must  say  farewell, 
oh,  farewell  for  ever  I  fear,  Mary  Lynn. 

19 


434 


APPENDIX. 


Just  as  I  was  about  sealing  my  letter,  the  servant 
brought  me  your  sweet  communication  ;  alas,  a  bitter  sweet, 
but  oh,  it  is  sweet  to  know  that  in  the  saddest  hour  of  dis- 
tress, you  thought  of  your  aged  far  distant  friend.  I  see 
your  dear  brother  has  franked  it.  I  knew  he  would  fly  to 
you,  and  that  dear  mother.  Oh,  try  and  be  comforted, — 
how  .aany  'Ve  left  destitute  !  As  you  have  known  many 
in  Missouri,  I  am  sure,  yes,  and  your  house  was  their  home, 
you  and  your  children  will  be  followed  by  their  prayers. 
I  can  add  no  more. 

M.  Lynn. 


Philadelphia,  October  11th,  1843. 

My  dearest  Aunt, — The  mournful  intelligence  of 
the  death  of  my  beloved  Uncle  Lewis  has  just  reached  me. 
I  seek  to  offer  no  consolation  for  a  calamity  so  distressing  ; 
but  I  claim  the  right  of  mourning  with  you  and  my  dear 
cousins.  Language,  at  least  as  I  could  use  it,  would  fall 
short  of  portraying  the  agony  I  feel  on  this  occasion.  I 
am  called  upon  by  the  ties  of  kindred  to  mourn  for  one 
who  has  watched  over  me  in  sickness  and  distress  ;  who 
has  rejoiced  with  my  joy  and  sympathized  with  my  sor- 
rows ;  who,  when  my  spirits  have  been  almost  broken,  has 
cheered  me  on  and  pointed  out  the  correct  path  ;  who  has 
always  been  kind,  and  whose  assistance  I  have  so  effectu- 
aUy  felt. 

Last  spring  a  fine  son  was  added  to  my  fortunes,  whom 
I  called  Lewis  Linn.  Of  this  he  knew  nothing,  and  I 
hoped  to  meet  you  all  this  winter  and  present  his  name- 
sake-— 0  Heaven  !  how  vain  are  mortal  wishes  !  and  the 
presence  of  my  boy  is  but  the  remembrance  of  distress. 

My  dear  Aunt,  I  cannot  but  tnist  that  our  Almighty 


APPENDIX. 


435 


Father,  in  depriving  you  of  a  beloved  husband,  has  armed 
you  with  a  fortitude  support  inn;  the  affliction.  Let  uh  re- 
nieniher  that  we  are  in  His  hands,  creatures  of  His  will, 
and  it  becomes  us  to  bow  in  humility  to  His  mandates. 

It  would  be  a  melancholy  sat ii-i action  to  be  informed 
as  to  how  he  died,  and  what  the  particulars  of  the  case 
were,  for  1  have  seen  nothing  but  newspuper  paragraphs. 

I  will  write  you  again  very  soon.  Please  give  my  love 
to  my  dear  cousins  Augustus  and  Mary  ;  and  may  God 
in  heaven  bless  you,  my  dear  Aunt,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of 

Your  most  affectionate  Nephew, 

Wm.  p.  McAnthony. 

Mrs.  E.  A.    Linn, 


St.  Oenevieve,  Mo. 


1 


WiiEEMXo,  Sunday,  October  15th,  1843. 

My  dear  Madam, — How  solemn  and  impressive  is 
the  lesson  we  arc  taught  by  the  sad  tidings  announced  so 
feelingly  in  your  respected  brother's  letter  of  the  .5th  to 
your  Uncle  Joseph  !  Truly,  "  In  the  midst  of  life  we  are 
in  death." 

Little  did  I  imagine  a  few  days  ago,  when  addressing 
you,  and  communicating  the  fact  that  death's  messenger 
had  visited  my  little  family,  that  so  soon,  so  veri/  soon, 
you  w'ould  be  called  upon  to  sustain  the  severest  bereave- 
ment which  an  all- wise,  but  all-merciful  Cre.itor  can  in- 
flict upon  the  creature. 

I  know  how  i\,tle  words  (which  would  trnd  to  soothe 
and  comfort  under  an  ordinary  bereavemen  )  will  avail 
in  expressing  the  deep  sympathy  I  feel  for  you  in  your 
affliction,  and  how  slight  their  inflaencj  will  be  in 
ameliorating  the  anguish  you  must  suffer  under  this  dis- 
pensation of  a  Good  Providence  ;  and  yet,  in  His  infinitely 


436 


APPENDIX. 


ti 


wise  ordering,  tiie  very  traits  in  the  character  of  your  la- 
mented husband,  which  make  your  loss  so  irreparable,  fur- 
nish some  consolation.  The  elevation  of  liis  character,  tlie 
purity  and  consistency  of  his  life,  the  delightful  aniialjibty 
which  characterized  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men, 
heightened  in  an  eminent  degree  in  intercourse  with  each 
and  every  member  of  his  family,  cannot  fail  to  exert  a 
soothing  influence. 

In  shedding  tears  to  his  memory,  you  necessarily 
cherish  a  lively  recollection  of  his  virtues.  Thus  an  over- 
ruling Providence  makes  the  afflictions  Avith  which  he 
visits  his  creature.i  furnish  to  some  extent  an  alleviation. 

Death,  in  taking  from  us  those  Ave  love,  seems  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  an  easy  transit  from  this  world  of  care. 
Each  messenger  from  him  lessens  our  ties  to  earth,  and 
strengthens  those  for  eternity.  They  have  gone  before — 
"re  prepare  to  follow  after.  Such  is  doubtless  the  inten- 
tion of  the  Great  Ruler  ;  and,  in  bowing  with  humble  sub- 
mission to  his  will,  we  will  be  strengthened  and  prepared 
for  the  great  change  which  awaits  us  all. 

Acce])t,  my  dear  Mrs.  Linn,  my  most  sincere  condo- 
lence in  the  affliction  which  }0i  have  suft'ered.  That  you 
may  be  supported  in  the  bereavement  you  have  sustained 
by  Him  who  has  promised  to  be  a  comforter  in  every  time 
of  need,  that  blessings  may  be  bestowed  upon  yourself  and 
your  children  ;  that  the  same  delightful  harmony,  so  hap- 
pily subsisting  betAvecn  you  and  your  departed  husband, 
may  characterize  your  and  their  relati<ms  with  each  other, 
is  the  anxious  desire,  the  sincerest  Avisli  of  your  friend, 

S.  Brady. 

Mrs.  Liuu. 


Please  remember  me  kindly  to  yo'ir  mother, 
all  well  at  present. 


Wg  are 


111 


APPENDIX. 


437 


WiiKELixo,  October  11th,  1843. 
The  intelligence  of  vour  heart-rcndinjr  bereavement 
has  just  reached  me.  Oh  !  my  dear  coz,  how  deeply  and 
truly  do  I  sym])athize  with  you  !  yet  none  but  those  that 
have  felt  the  anguish  of  a  widowed  heart,  can  know  how 
little  consolation  the  sympathy  of  friends  affords  us  in  so 
trying  an  hour.  It  is  then,  and  only  then,  we  feel  our 
own  insignificance.  How  thy  hand  hund)les,  0  death  ! 
and  nothing  short  of  the  onmiscient  power  that  wields  the 
mighty  sceptre  can  heal  the  wound  it  inflicts.  It  was  to 
God  alone,  my  dear  Elizabeth,  that  I  looked  for  comfort, 
and  it  is  to  his  almighty  goodness  and  mercy  I  recom- 
mend you  to  look  for  help  and  succor.  But  I  })resume  tliis 
you  know  yourself  ;  and  if  the  sympatliy  of  friends  can 
afford  you.  any  comfort,  I  can  assiu'c  you  that  you  have  it. 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  say  on  the  melancholy 
subject.  To  enumerate  the  many  manly  virtues  of  your  be- 
loved husband,  and  to  remind  you  of  the  deep  hold  he  had 
on  the  hearts  of  all  that  knew  him,  would  only  aggravate 
your  feelings  ;  for  the  greater  his  merits,  the  greater  your 
loss.  I  ho])o  you  will  try  and  bear  it  \.'ith  fortitude,  for 
your  dear  children's  sake.  They,  and  your  mother,  and 
brother,  will  constitute  your  only  earthly  comforts  ;  and 
for  them  let  me  C(jnjure  you  to  bear  up  and  struggle  against 
any  inordinate  indulgence  of  grief.  It  Avas  a  long  time 
before  I  could  bring  my  mind  to  say,  "  It  is  the  Lord,  and 
let  liis  will  be  done."  Our  troubles  ard  afflictions  in  this 
world  have  induced  me  to  ])elie\'o  that  the  Almighty, 
through  love  and  mercy,  takes  those  who  are  his  especial 
favorites  out  of  it,  and  that  it  is  sinful  for  us  to  wish  them 
to  remain.  I  can  see  almost  daily  liis  tender  mercy  in 
withdrawing  my  dear  husl)aud  to  liimself  He  was  too 
pure  and  sensitive  to  struggle  with  a  cold,  unfeeling  world, 
and  never  could  have  survived  the  many  inconveniences 


438 


APPENDIX. 


and  mortifications  that  ho  would  have  had  to  encounter  in 
settling  his  aiFairs  ;  and  you  cannot  perhaps  now  see  why 
it  was  that  He  thought  proper  to  separate  you  and  your 
dear  companion,  who  have  ever  been  so  happy  ;  yet  the 
time,  I  believe,  will  come  when  you  will  think  it  was  for 
the  best. 

I  have  been  afflicted  with  a  weakness  for  nearly  three 
months,  that  has  confined  me  to  the  house,  and  a  great 
part  of  the  time  to  bed,  and  I  am  now  but  very  little 
better.  You  will  therefore  excuse  my  poor  attempt  at 
offering  you  any  thing  like  comfort,  as  I  feel  my  perfect 
inability  to  do  so  ;  and  I  have,  moreover,  had  a  trying- 
time  in  parting  with  my  two  daughters  and  my  son-in- 
law.  They  left  here  a  few  days  since  for  their  residence 
in  Mississippi.  Sophy  accompanied  Mr.  Stanton  and 
Jane,  and  it  seems  to  me  "  the  glory  of  my  house  hath  de- 
parted," and  I  feel  almost  as  wretched  as  if  I'd  have 
buried  them.     They  will,  however,  return  next  summer. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Steenrod  have  lost  their  babe  ;  it  was 
about  three  months  old  Avhen  it  died.  Mrs.  S.  intends 
going  on  with  Mr.  S.,  as  she  has  nothing  now  to  keep  her 
at  home.  Your  friends  are  all  well  except  Aunt  Eliza. 
She  is  very  feeble  and  has  a  ba*'  cough,  and  I  understood 
to-day  that  she  was  confined  to  bed.  Mary  Brady  has 
lost  her  little  son.  Bolton  Caldwell  and  Phebe  Pearce 
left  here  last  week  for  Vicksburg.  Bolton  improved  very 
much  whilst  here  ;  he  was  a  perfect  skeleton  when  he  ar- 
rived. Cousin  Jemmy  is  now  in  St.  Louis  ;  also  Caroline's 
husband,  Mr.  Wilson,  has  gone  there  to  hunt  a  home. 
Cousin  Lizzy  Caldwell  was  iu  from  Zanosville,  and  spent 
a  few  weeks  in  the  summer  with  us  ;  she  looks  veiy  well. 
Her  fiither,  Judge  Harper,  has  just  been  elected  to  Con- 
gress. Aunt  Fanu}  is  enjoying  her  usual  health.  Cousin 
John  and  I'ary  were  here  a  few  evenings  since  in  pretty 


APPENDIX. 


439 


good  health,  and  spoke  of  you  in  the  most  feeling  manner. 
They  are  truly  a  worthy  couple.  To  my  dear  Aunt  give 
my  most  aflfectionate  rememhrance,  and  say,  she  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  us.  Her  name  wir  be  reverenced,  and  her 
memory  fondly  cherished,  by  me  and  my  children,  when 
time  with  her  shall  be  no  more.  My  love  to  your  brother 
and  your  dear  children.  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  your 
son's  narrow  escape  from  the  jaws  of  death,  and  how  doubly 
you  might  have  been  afflicted — therefore  be  comforted,  and 
still  think  that  the  Almighty  has  been  merciful. 

Yours  affectionately, 

E.  M.  Chapline. 

Write  me  as  soon  as  you  feel  sufficiently  composed  to 
do  so,  for  I  shall  be  anxious  until  I  hear  from  you. 


Cincinnati,  Oct.  20th,  1843. 
My  dear  Cousin, — We  were  extremely  shocked  to 
hear  of  the  irreparable  loss  you  have  sustained — at  all 
times  and  under  all  circumstances  the  Dr.'s  death  would 
have  been  most  afflictive  to  j'ou — but  occurring  so  sudden- 
ly as  it  did,  renders  it  doubly  severe.  I  am  not  able  to 
offer  you  any  consolation,  for  well  I  know  none  can  give 
any  comfort  ;  the  bereaved  heart  will  mourn  and  refuse  to 
be  comforted  ;  it  is  to  time  alone  we  must  look  to  assuage 
our  grief.  Death  has  indeed  visited  your  dwelling  in  an 
awful  manner,  but  you  have  the  consolation  of  being  able 
to  think,  although  the  summons  was  sudden,  that  he  was 
prepared  to  exchange  this  world  for  the  next,  where  he  is 
rejoicing  in  the  presence  of  God  the  Saviour,  and  entirely 
exempt  from  all  the  sufferings  of  this  life.  Call  to  mind 
his  deep  grief  at  the  death  of  your  daughter  Jane,  and 


440 


APPENDIX. 


feel  comfort  in  the  reflection  that  he  is  iievor  to  experience 
the  like  again.  I  think  it  is  only  snch  reilections  that 
can  soothe  us  ;  if  we  suffer  ourselves  to  dw-jil  on  our  own 
loss,  we  are  agonized.  You  have  two  promising  children 
left  you,  who  can  weep  and  lament  with,  you,  share  ?ill 
your  grief,  and  be  to  you  your  only  source  of  comfort. 
May  they  be  spared  to  be  a  blessing  to  you,  the  solaco  of 
your  declining  years. 

Wlien  you  are  recovered  from  the  first  severe  shock,  I 
would,  my  dear  cousin,  be  gratified  to  hear  from  yoi  the 
particulars  of  your  dear  husband's  death,  and  how  you 
and  Mary  arc.  I  presume  you  will  have  many  friends  to 
condole  with  you  ;  but  none  feel  more  deeply  for  you  than 
I  do.  Mr.  Xeave  begs  me  +o  assure  you  of  his  deep  sym- 
pathy and  personal  interest  in  whatever  concerns  you. 
Give  my  love  to  A  .igustus  and  Mary,  and  also  to  Aunt  if 
she  is  with  you. 

Believe  me,  your  attached  cousin, 

Jane  E.  Neave. 


m 

P 


Kaskaskia,  Oct.  5ih,  1843. 

My  deak  MADAi\r, — I  heard  yesterday,  on  my  arrival 
at  this  place,  of  the  death  of  my  mucli  esteemed  friend. 
Dr.  Linn.  I  desire  most  sincerely  to  condole  with  you  in 
your  heavy  affliction.  His  loss  is  a  great  one,  r.ot  only  to 
his  friends,  but  to  the  nation  in  whose  councils  he  occu- 
pied so  distinguished  a  jdace. 

I  had  made  my  arrangements  to  ha/c  a  personal  in- 
terview with  him  on  this  day,  but  on  yesterday  the  sad 
news  reached  me  of  his  sudden  and  untimely  death.     He 


APPENDIX. 


441 


had  attained  high  honors,  and  achieved  the  object  of  his 
amhition,  but  it  availed  not.  "^ 


"  Or  come  he  slow,  or  come  he  fast, 
It  is  but  Death  that  comes  at  last." 


as  vo^Ifu  l"":  *f  '"^°*'™  "'  ^'^  »''»"">  consoled 

«!:::li;  *"^  """^"'™™=^»  '^^  >-»•■■  >■-  *>"^ 

With  high  regard,  your  friend,  and  obedient, 

Sidney  Breese. 


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Art.      Sv^(^•Illaticnlly      Ar- 


i-aiiged.  Illustrati'd  with  500  flnv 
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Half  morocco,  40  00 

Or  In  full  moniceo, 60  00 

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The  Sciences;  or,  CheniNtry, 
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Clolli,  8  00 

The  Anatomy  of  the  Human 
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six  liundrcd  illustrations.    2  vols. 

Cloth,  3  00 


The  ConntrirH  and  Cities  of 
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^.  ^p{|Uion;  ^  (Coinpnns't  |hibluaiioni. 


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Till'  Art  nf  IliiraliiiK-  lu  Aii< 
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(  loth,  4  00 

TcrlinoloKy  llluNlrnted.  lielng 
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Jnini'M,  Henry.  The  Nature 
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Jnine«,  (<.  1'.  It.  and  M,  II. 
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In  shceji,  2  25 

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I.ady.    With  illustrations.    12nio. 
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KnvanaKh,  Julia.    Women  of 

C'hristianity,  Exemplary  for 

Piety    and    Charity.     12mo. 

Cloth, 

Natlialie.    A  Tnlc. 


1 2mo Cloth, 

Madeleine. 


1  25 

75 

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12ino. 
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Cloth,  1 


Knchel  Gray.  12mo. 

Cloth,  0 

The  same.    C  volumes. 

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00 
00 

75 

00 

00 
50 
60 


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